Creative writing interventions for young people recovering from mental illness
In the UK, 1 in 10 children aged between 5 and 16 years has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (HM Government, 'No Health Without Mental Health', 2011). The 2015 Children's Commissioner's report found that mental health services for children and young people are vastly underfunded, with austerity measures set to cut further preventative services. Numerous studies have proven creative writing (CW) as an effective mental health intervention, have developed thinking around CW strategies for recovery, and have highlighted the need for further research. This research programme seeks to create vital dialogue between scholars and practitioners across a range of disciplines to assess the mental health needs of young people within the UK and how CW interventions can meet these needs. The programme involves three workshops and a conference, all of which are designed to interrogate creative writing pedagogy, research practices and interactions across disciplines and its interventions in mental health.
Funded by: British Academy, Leverhulme Trust
Main contact: Dr Carolyn Jess-Cooke
Start date: 2016
End date: 2018
Units:
Keywords: ChildrenCreative WritingCreativityLiteratureMental healthPatient CarePoetry Therapy
Associated people: