Editorial
| Published date | 13 May 2010 |
| Pages | 2-2 |
| Date | 13 May 2010 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5042/mhsi.2010.0233 |
| Author | Adam Pozner |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Mental Health and Social Inclusion • Volume 14 Issue 2 • May 2010 © Pier Professional Ltd2
10.5042/mhsi.2010.0233
Maggie Hitchman, artist and service user, offers an
inspiring account of her experiences as a volunteer
and artist-in-residence at her local psychiatric
inpatient hospital in Gloucestershire. Using her
creative skills as an artist, Maggie was involved in
a number of art projects within the occupational
therapy department, developed in partnership with
service users and staff, which aimed to promote
hope, recovery and social inclusion.
All too often, peop le with enduring me ntal
health prob lems find their rou tes to s ocial conta ct,
learning or work ba rred by difficulties with trav el –
a dimension that is often o verlooked w hen
considering social inc lusion issu es. Carolin e Law an d
David Ewens describe findings from an interesting
research st udy examini ng the t ravel exper iences of
such indivi duals, spec ifically in relation to travel ling
to learning centres or work.
Finally Sue Atkinson and Vicky Reynolds explore
some of the meanings and implications of learning for
both learner and learning adviser in a mental health
setting. Their article discusses the relationship of
learning and employment, aspects of the lived reality
of learning while experiencing fluctuating levels of
distress, and what kinds of support can help.
We also make our usual plea – do let us
know about any proj ects that are using creative
approaches to making social in clusion a reality. If
you are involved in such a project, why not write
about it for Mental Health and Social Inclusion?
Adam Pozner
Welcome to the spring issue. As we have just had
a general election, we begin with an assessment
of what the major political parties might have in
mind for our mental health. Simon Lawton-Smith
provides his usual excellent policy update, and later
in the issue he offers a very clear description of
New Horizons, the cross-governmental strategy on
mental health, published in December 2009 by the
Department of Health.
Our series on ‘recovery heroes’ ends in this issue
with a profile of Margaret Muir, a woman who has
experienced nearly a lifetime of depression and other
symptoms, but has found ways to lead a fruitful
and satisfying life. We hope that the five papers
in this series have given inspiration to individuals
struggling with long-term mental distress and to the
professionals that work with them. A big thanks to
Jerome Carson for putting this series together.
Kathrin Kirrmann offers a profile of CoolTan
Arts, an impressive, pioneering arts and mental
heath charity based in South London, which believes
that mental well-being is enhanced by the power
of creativity. CoolTan Arts is a participant-led
organisation, run by and for adults experiencing
mental distress.
Jane Thakoo rdin provid es a sho rt account of
the process of mode rnising adu lt mental health
day service s in Bir mingham ove r the la st three
years, with a parti cular focus on how they inv olved
service use rs when making chan ges. Their approach
involved th e use of highly creative an d innovativ e
approaches to consulta tion.
Editorial
Adam Pozner
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