'Their story is a hard road to hoe': how art-making tackles stigma and builds well-being in young people living regionally

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Gentle, Emma, Linsley, Paul and Hurley, John (2020) 'Their story is a hard road to hoe': how art-making tackles stigma and builds well-being in young people living regionally. Journal of Public Mental Health, 19 (2). pp. 109-118. ISSN 1746-5729

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Abstract

Purpose Remote and regional Australia have comparatively fewer mental health services than their urban counterparts, what is more, mental health remains profoundly stigmatised. This study aims to understand how, if at all, the process of group art-making then publicly displaying the artworks can contribute to stigma reduction for young people (YP) experiencing mental health challenges in regional Australia. Design/methodology/approach Interviews were conducted with six young artists who use regional mental health services and 25 people who viewed their displayed art using a thematic analysis of the coded interview data. Findings Findings of this study demonstrated how art-making as a process increased self-esteem, social interaction and artistic expression; while the viewers experienced an emotional connection to the art. The viewer’s response enhanced YP’s confidence in their abilities. Originality/value Incorporating art-making and exhibiting the art in public spaces could be incorporated into YP’s mental health services to support well-being and inform the perception the general public hold of mental health, thus reducing stigma.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: mental health,art-making,stigma,young people,regional australia,adolescents,public health, environmental and occupational health,psychiatry and mental health,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2739
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 18 Feb 2020 07:52
Last Modified: 22 Oct 2022 05:51
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/74235
DOI: 10.1108/JPMH-10-2019-0087

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