Creativity-Arts Therapy: Annotated Bibliography
ATS 1017
Vivek Menon Narayanan
Annotated Bibliography
Creativity – Arts therapy as an alternative to treat mental illnesses
By Vivek Menon Narayanan (25655191)
This annotated bibliography is a collection of multi-disciplinary sources that look into the creativity of the application of the field of arts into an outcome of the field of science; specifically the use of arts therapy to treat mental illnesses. I have always been interested in activities related to the above mentioned fields and wanted to find an issue that creatively links them both together. All of the articles presented in this bibliography indicate two commonalities – firstly, they acknowledge that it is rather difficult for people with mental illnesses to …show more content…
Aldridge, D. (2001). The creative arts therapies in the treatment of neuro-degenerative illness. Music Therapy Today, 86(2), pp 93-108.
In this journal article, Aldridge expresses his concern about how ‘medical ways’ of solving an issue, for instance sedation, may result in the suppression of a mentally-challenged individual. Rather than allowing them to express their concerns, he argues that they may distance themselves from their personalities and therefore creating a barrier that would simply be hard to break down. Aldridge then brings up the issue of empowerment as an effect of arts therapy because they are able to control their senses and diminish any of their insecurities. He also discusses how music, drama and dance help the neurologically-troubled improve their motor skills, communication, physiological irregularities and even spiritual enlightenment. Besides that, he highlighted the effect of music saying that the rhythm of music induces a time structure that is able to activate brain connections that appear to have failed in
ATS …show more content…
(2008). Challenging stigma around mental illness and promoting social inclusion using the performing arts. The Journal of the Royal Society for the
Promotion of Health, 128(2), pp 68-72.
Twardzicki, in this article, ran a three-year study with the objective of eliminating the negative perceptions against those suffering from mental illnesses by using art to create a unified community. She adds that the inclusion of the mental healthcare clients together with school students will boost their self-esteem in that their contributions to the various arts productions are deemed significant by the people they consider ‘normal’. Furthermore, she states that their ability to make choices in their involvement of the production gives them the freedom and releases them of their mental space constraint. Twardzicki also mentions repeatedly that the effect should be noticed not just on the healthcare clients but the students and tutors in that population as well. In the end, the outcome of her study does reveal that the stigma around mental illness has taken a turn for the better as the students, especially,
ATS 1017
Vivek Menon Narayanan
have moulded their mentality in that they have become more empathetic and the
Vivek Menon Narayanan
Annotated Bibliography
Creativity – Arts therapy as an alternative to treat mental illnesses
By Vivek Menon Narayanan (25655191)
This annotated bibliography is a collection of multi-disciplinary sources that look into the creativity of the application of the field of arts into an outcome of the field of science; specifically the use of arts therapy to treat mental illnesses. I have always been interested in activities related to the above mentioned fields and wanted to find an issue that creatively links them both together. All of the articles presented in this bibliography indicate two commonalities – firstly, they acknowledge that it is rather difficult for people with mental illnesses to …show more content…
Aldridge, D. (2001). The creative arts therapies in the treatment of neuro-degenerative illness. Music Therapy Today, 86(2), pp 93-108.
In this journal article, Aldridge expresses his concern about how ‘medical ways’ of solving an issue, for instance sedation, may result in the suppression of a mentally-challenged individual. Rather than allowing them to express their concerns, he argues that they may distance themselves from their personalities and therefore creating a barrier that would simply be hard to break down. Aldridge then brings up the issue of empowerment as an effect of arts therapy because they are able to control their senses and diminish any of their insecurities. He also discusses how music, drama and dance help the neurologically-troubled improve their motor skills, communication, physiological irregularities and even spiritual enlightenment. Besides that, he highlighted the effect of music saying that the rhythm of music induces a time structure that is able to activate brain connections that appear to have failed in
ATS …show more content…
(2008). Challenging stigma around mental illness and promoting social inclusion using the performing arts. The Journal of the Royal Society for the
Promotion of Health, 128(2), pp 68-72.
Twardzicki, in this article, ran a three-year study with the objective of eliminating the negative perceptions against those suffering from mental illnesses by using art to create a unified community. She adds that the inclusion of the mental healthcare clients together with school students will boost their self-esteem in that their contributions to the various arts productions are deemed significant by the people they consider ‘normal’. Furthermore, she states that their ability to make choices in their involvement of the production gives them the freedom and releases them of their mental space constraint. Twardzicki also mentions repeatedly that the effect should be noticed not just on the healthcare clients but the students and tutors in that population as well. In the end, the outcome of her study does reveal that the stigma around mental illness has taken a turn for the better as the students, especially,
ATS 1017
Vivek Menon Narayanan
have moulded their mentality in that they have become more empathetic and the