Thesis
This project purposes to showcase how artwork or art therapy can be utilized to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental wellness in my community. With specific reference to Florence Nightingale art, the study will explore the application of art therapy as a form of psychotherapy in a healthcare setting. The project has identified a rehabilitation center for mental illnesses affiliated to the hospital which I work for as the healthcare center where the project will be implemented. In addition, the project seeks to study the use of creative art techniques such as coloring, drawing, sculpting and collage in enabling adults diagnosed with mental health problems to explore their emotions, relive stress, manage addictions, improve depression symptoms and learn how to cope with a challenging situations. The ability of a mental health patient to find the association between an artwork’s creative choices and their inner life provides a therapeutic healing ( Lankston et al., 2010) . This study will demonstrate that through the guidance of an art therapist, mental health patients can decode the metaphors, symbols and messages engraved in Florence Nightingale art to better understand their behavior and feelings so that they can resolve their predicaments.
Problem
The project has identified mental health issues as the problem that will be addressed through Florence Nightingale art. Mental health illnesses are a common occurrence in the modern world. Some of the typical mental health problem that afflict populations globally include depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, paranoia, bipolar affective disorder and dissociative disorders. Mental illnesses is a common problem in the United States and affects millions of citizens each year. According to World Health Organization, in a given year, approximately 26% of American citizens aged 18 years and older suffer from a mental health problem. The statistic represents about 1 in every 4 adults. Case in point, depression inflicts approximately 9.5% of U.S citizens aged 18 and above. In my state, an estimated 3.2% of adults have been diagnosed with mental health illness such as depression and bipolar disorder ( Blackwell et al., 2014) . The high prevalence of mental health illnesses creates the need to formulate a strategy to enable patients cope and recover from the resultant effects of the disorders. Using artwork specifically Florence Nightingale art in a rehabilitation center will be pivotal in addressing the mental health illnesses.
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Concept
The overall goal of the project is to promote speedy recovery of mental health patients in a rehabilitation center affiliated to the hospital where I work. Florence Nightingale art will be utilized to foster swift recuperation from mental health symptoms. Previous studies have demonstrated existence of a direct link between artwork and healing. Throughout recorded history, images, pictures and paintings have been used as healing rituals. A study by Pénzes et al., (2018), indicated that being in contact with art statutes and mosaics heals both a person’s body and mind. Approximately 160 years ago, Florence Nightingale noted that artwork is an essential element in the healing process. This project therefore will seek to achieve the ultimate goal of hastening the process of recovery and healing from mental health illnesses through application of variety of form and color embedded on Florence Nightingale art. The project intends to impact mental health patients in my community positively by improving the quality of their lives in the long run. Application of art therapy will enable the patients recover from mental illnesses and resume their normal lives. Recovery will imply that the individuals can engage in productive activities such as seeking for employment, ultimately leading to improved life quality.
Project Description
The project will commence by seeking funding from the state government agencies that are mandated to help patients living with different mental health illnesses. Finding will also be solicited from donors and non-governmental organizations which have interest in championing mental health. Financial assistance will enable hospital I work for to finance the treatment of mental health illnesses through Florence Nightingale art. Adequate funding will enable the hospital to procure materials needed to replicate Florence Nightingale art and sustain mental health patients in the rehabilitation center. The next phase will entail recruiting art therapists who will be mandated to expose patients to different elements of Florence Nightingale art including shape, color, lines, space, and texture to enable them understand their emotional conflicts, manage addictions and restore normal function into their lives. The next step will entail admitting mental health patients in the hospitals rehabilitation center. To ensure that a high number of patients is enrolled, the hospital will run a sensitization program on social media requiring families who have mentally ill patients to bring them into the facility for rehabilitation. The hospital will work jointly with the community leaders to identify the in need mental health patients.
Enrolled patients will be introduced to the Florence Nightingale art by art therapists. The depiction of Florence Nightingale art will be displayed digitally via a projector. Different color paintings will be used in a manner that stimulates a patients emotions. The display of Florence Nightingale art on a digital medium will be critical in generating the aspect of kinetic art which will produce positive effects on patients such as excitement. Patients will be given essential drawing materials and tools including drawing pencils, sketchbook, quality drawing surfaces, erasers, drawing pens and ink, tortilions and blending stumps. Under the guidance of hired art therapists, the patients will be asked to replicate Florence Nightingale art by doodling on their sketchbooks. Patients will also observe art therapists draw the Florence Nightingale art and color it using a paintbrush.
It is expected that creation and replicating the art by patients will stimulate the release of dopamine. According to Pénzes et al., (2018), doing something pleasurable such as creating art releases the feel good chemical in a person’s body. The increased levels of the neurotransmitter hormone will be helpful to the patients who are battling depression and anxiety disorders. Through use of paint brushes patients will be requested to utilize artistic techniques to explore their emotions and addresses trauma. Patients will repeat the drawing and painting of Florence Nightingale art in different ways to hasten their recovery from different mental illnesses. Patients will be allowed creative freedom to express and depict Florence Nightingale art in different ways. Art therapists will be request participants to spend a moment reflecting on situation or person they feel frustrated or upset about. The patients will aos be asked to create a visual representation of how they feel or felt about an awful experience.
Participants will be guided on how to create a soft collage of Florence Nightingale art by tying, or sticking pieces of fabric together on a thick paper base. The collage activity will help soften the patients thereby rendering their painful past into pleasant experiences. The activity of creating art or viewing it will help the participants work on social skills, explore emotions and develop self-awareness. Florence Nightingale art has distinct mixture of color, color saturation and figuration, elements that will enhance patients balance and adaptability. The art therapy treatment program will run for three months. Once the period has lapsed, each patient will be evaluated individually by an accredited psychiatrist to determine the degree of recovery achieved. Individuals who have exhibited substantial or full recovery will be discharged to resume normal lives while the patients who still manifest mental health symptoms will be subjected to 2 more months of supplemental art therapy.
Context/Research
The Country Doctor artwork also known as “Night Call” painted by an American artist Horace Pippin can also be used as an alternative to Florence Nightingale art. The Country Doctor art depicts a physician leading his horse and covered cart through a snowstorm to attend to a patient. The history of the artwork dates back in 1933 and was created to mimic doctor’s missions during antislavery campaigns and after Second World War. The artwork can be an effective tool in enabling mental health patients explore different aspect of their personalities. A literature review study by Pénzes et al., (2018), indicated that the Country Doctor artwork depicting a doctor leading his horse can be used to enhance mental wellbeing and to foster healing. Clara Barton artwork can also be used to influence patient’s mental well-being. The depiction of Clara Barton in a hospital while attending to patients can be used in art therapy. According to Van Lith (2016), Clara Barton artwork is a perfect medium that can be used to help patients overcome stress and explore their emotions.
Participation
The project will be open for participation by people who are living or have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Interested applicants will participate by making an online application and filling their respective personal and health details through the hospital’s website.
International/Diversity/Inclusion
The project will sponsor an advertisement on Facebook to reach a wide audience from diverse backgrounds. The project will also make a mandatory requirement to have participant representation from different racial backgrounds. A non-discriminatory policy will be formulated prohibiting discrimination on basis of race or national origin. Communities will benefit by having their mentally affected patients treated at no cost. Brochures containing the objectives of the program will be circulated to different communities to enable them better understand the goals. Freeland (2003) explains that to ensure cultural diversity, organizations should intitule non-discriminatory policies and hefty penalties for individuals that exercise stereotyping.
Conclusion
The project targets to address mental health illness through artwork. Florence Nightingale art will be used to help clients explore their emotions, foster healing and promote mental well-being. The participants will be positively impacted through enhanced mental wellness and improved quality of life. Art therapy will enhance the participants adaptability, enable the patients learn how to cope with challenges, and how to develop self-awareness.
References
Blackwell, D. L., Lucas, J. W., & Clarke, T. C. (2014). Summary health statistics for US adults: national health interview survey, 2012. Vital and health statistics. Series 10, Data from the National Health Survey , (260), 1.
Lankston, L., Cusack, P., Fremantle, C., & Isles, C. (2010). Visual art in hospitals: case studies and review of the evidence. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine , 103 (12), 490-499.
Freeland, C. (2003). Art theory: a very short introduction . OUP Oxford.
Pénzes, I., Hooren, S. V., Dokter, D., & Hutschemaekers, G. (2018). How art therapists observe mental health using formal elements in art products: structure and variation as indicators for balance and adaptability. Frontiers in psychology , 9 , 1611.
Van Lith, T. (2016). Art therapy in mental health: A systematic review of approaches and practices. The Arts in Psychotherapy , 47 , 9-22.
