Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1495665
17 Unity SUNDAY 26 MARCH 2023 Prof. Louis Laganà Faculty for Social Wellbeing TODAY one finds an unprece- dented strong relationship be- tween the engagement of the creative arts, health, and the wellbeing of society. There is evidence that the arts have an effective means to reduce ad- verse psychological and physi- ological impacts. The arts help us meet challenges in health and social concerna associated with ageing, loneliness, social integration, long-term condi- tions, and mental health. In the last few years, psychologists, and health professionals started to study how the arts may heal emotional and mental injuries, reduce adverse symptoms and even heal individuals. The number of people in Mal- ta and their participation in the creative arts is lower than that of other European countries. Therefore, it is difficult to de- termine how the arts impact individuals, the extent to which they bring joy, increase self-es- teem, and improve mental and improve physical wellbeing. There is certainly a rise in the levels of depression and anxie- ty among youth, older persons, foreign nationals, and people with special needs. So, the chal- lenges are momentous, and re- quire serious educational pro- grammes of mitigation. Mental health and the arts The World Health Organiza- tion estimates that mental ill- health accounts for 20% more than cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Our country has an ageing population, and many people experience physical inactivity with the result of obesity, men- tal stress, and anxiety. The arts seem to have an important role to promote wellbeing and social inclusion. Getting involved in the arts and cultural activities such as music, theatre, dance and vis- iting museums can have a pow- erful lasting effect on our health and wellbeing. It can also help to support mental health issues and recovery. Most art forms can help people to improve their communication skills and mental health issues through creativity. As they are express- ing themselves in various forms of creativity, people are encour- aged to communicate them- selves, without having to use words. During the COVID-19 pandemic many people had to self-isolate and so turned to the arts and creativity. This came from an innate desire to use the brains and the creative powers to make them feel good. The Arts are not only beneficial for young children or adolescents, but also important during adulthood and later life. While practising the arts are not a universal treatment and solution for mental health is- sues, there is enough evidence to show that giving importance to the arts in peoples' lives can contribute to a better lifestyle and wellbeing. Funding and the arts in health work Malta is rich in its arts and culture, so a serious programme must be drawn up by all the stakeholders working in the arts and mental health sectors to provide a long-term framework to specific organisations. This should include participatory arts programmes and arts en- gagement in everyday life. The Malta Council for the Arts could be the catalyst to fund projects and help local organ- isations to create programmes related to the arts and mental health, and the citizens' well- being. As the World Health Or- ganization underlines, "health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of dis- ease or infirmity; the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being." The arts, therefore, can contribute to our complete wellbeing. The first thing to be done is to include the arts in health work. The proper clinical and health- care environment with public spaces should offer a distracting atmosphere to patients, staff, and the general public. Secondly, participatory com- munity and hospital-based arts programmes and projects should be introduced. Arts and craft activities provide opportu- nities for people to engage with each other and their own crea- tivity which will improve their sense of wellbeing. Studies have shown that the creative process and expression, influence peo- ples' lives over ill health and can result in reduced dependence on medicine. The introduction of medical training and humanities would play an important role of the arts to develop the practice of medicine and the understand- ing of wellbeing. Medical cours- es and training should incorpo- rate the arts so that the practice of healthcare is humanised. In most European countries, arts therapies have become an es- tablished psychotherapeutic tool used by qualified therapists with patients and clients. Un- fortunately, there are no uni- versity or college courses in arts therapy in Malta. During these last six years, I have attempted many times to introduce such courses, but it seems that the local education establishments lack interest and enthusiasm to set up a general course in arts therapies. Most of the local students interested in a career as an art therapist, usu- ally go to study abroad at anoth- er foreign institution. There are only a few qual- ified art therapists in Malta, who actually struggle to find a job in this growing field. Arts therapists should be registered directly with the Health Profes- sions Council and not just reg- istered with the Psychotherapy Association to obtain a working warrant. Artistic expression and crea- tivity grew in conformity with cultural development and have a long and integral part in how we teach, learn, communicate, and heal. The arts are excep- tionally appropriate to help us understand and communicate ideas and emotions by drawing on all our senses and facilitates empathy. In recent years, we have come to understand the fundamental health benefits of artistic and leisure activities. The arts can help us emotionally to find a way to battle an illness or injury, and to handle difficult emotions in times of crisis and trauma. The enjoyment of the arts helps us to promote holistic wellness and become a motivating factor in recovery. Therefore, including the arts in healthcare delivery has shown to increase optimistic clinical outcomes for patients while also support other stake- holders, health care providers, patients, and their loved ones. The importance of the arts in health and wellbeing Graziella Vella Research Support Officer II MENTAL health challenges arise when individuals find it difficult to cope with issues and challenges in their daily lives. Such circumstances generally lead to a disruption of' lives and leave a detrimental effect on their quality of life and wellbe- ing. In Europe, research shows the most commonly reported men- tal health issues are 'anxiety' and 'depression', respectively, with these examples of mental illness- es also being the most commonly reported in the Maltese islands. Locally, research shows that the onset of mental health issues occurs around the age of 14. Depression is generally found to be more common among the most vulnerable groups such as people with lower-than-average levels of education, bereaving persons, and those who were divorced or separated, to the ex- tent that these social groupings report mental health issues as much as three times more than other peers. Nonetheless, a number of peo- ple experiencing depression tend not to report their symp- toms and seek help, because of the fear of stigma associated with mental health issues. Lo- cally, this sense of stigma accen- tuates itself in view of the small- ness of the Maltese islands. In Gozo, this sense of fear of seek- ing help for mental health condi- tions is even further entrenched because of this island's double insularity: when an island is part of a number in which a main, larger, island exists. Lack of pri- vacy and discrimination due to the smallness of the island and close-knit communities create further obstacles in the quest to seek support and assistance for mental health conditions. Lack of specialised services is also an issue when these are usually offered only in the main larger islands. People seek more help when support is available with- in a community context, where people respond better to treat- ment than those inside a hospi- tal environment. Nonetheless, mental health treatment in the community needs to be careful- ly designed to ensure a support system within a small close-knit community. A study by the Faculty for So- cial Wellbeing explored the needs of people with mental health issues to understand what community services are availa- ble and required to complement the current provision. Results demonstrate that people with mental health issues need an adequate environment where to receive treatment. Community care allows for a wider reach of people, and this setting creates further accessibility and helps eliminate barriers associated with seeking support for mental health problems. This is a crucial step in reducing the stigma asso- ciated with mental health issues. Indeed, mental health issues have become more accentuat- ed in view of different pressures from today's society. There is therefore a great need for greater awareness and information with regards to normalising seeking help for such issues, before it is too late. Mental health care on small islands: Gozo Mental health