Recovery from Mental Illness – Take Your Partners!
18/092007
Regular physical work outs have countless benefits to people recovering from mental illness. The idea of physical exercise does not appeal to everyone and getting into a routine can be a challenge.
Therapists at Wotton Lawn Hospital in Gloucester have noticed that offering keep fit sessions in an imaginative way has encouraged many people to take part. In addition to traditional dance, new opportunities have developed through a Creative Movement session. The success of this work is connected with an innovative scheme initiated by the community project group called ‘Art-Lift’.
Working together, Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Art-Lift have facilitated an artist in residence - Community Dance Leader, Lucy Savvidou - to work with occupational therapists and physiotherapists at Wotton Lawn Hospital to provide creative movement sessions for service users. Giving feedback from a session, service users said:
“I enjoyed dancing, it has given me more confidence'.
“This is great fun and energising'.
“Dancing and music are wonderful ways to alleviate stress and promote
well being'.
Angela Ross-Gamble, occupational therapist and the Trust’s direct link with Art-Lift project commented: 'As a team we are delighted with the response received from the people we work with who have chosen to engage in creative movement/dance as a therapeutic opportunity. It has been wonderful to work alongside Lucy, who has been inspirational in sharing ideas and incorporating a sense of community spirit within the hospital setting. This is a great example of everyone working together to meet the needs of people who are recovering from mental illness.’
Lucy has provided 20 sessions of creative movement at the hospital and hopes
to maintain a link between the arts community and the hospital setting which
demonstrates the success of this artistic medium.
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