Group song-writing and group visual art-making in promoting collaboration among service users and staff in mental health: A comparative reflection

Collaboration between service users and staff is central to successful recovery-oriented working in mental health. Participatory arts programmes are increasingly utilised for this purpose yet little is known about the parallels and distinctions that various arts modalities may offer within this pursuit. This arts-based study addressed this issue by exploring the similarities and differences among group songwriting and group visual artmaking, in promoting collaboration among service users and staff in a recovery-oriented hospital in [name of country]. Sixteen participants including ten service users and six staff participated in either songwriting or visual art focus groups. Afterwards, experiences of participation were investigated through individual semi-structured interviews that were analysed using Thematic Content Analysis. Interviews revealed four themes including ‘The versatility of the arts enhanced opportunities for engagement’; ‘Liberation from roles facilitated authentic self-expression’; ‘Creative groupwork evoked feelings of vulnerability’: and, ‘The multidimensional nature of arts-based methods encouraged new perspectives’. Overall, the creative environments offered in the arts-based focus groups enabled participation, inclusion, and equity, while also presenting channels of expression through which new perspectives could be explored. Some subtle differences arose in terms of subjective experiences of using these arts-based modalities where greater vulnerability was experienced among staff.