Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong CT(1), Chan SF(2), Au WC(1), Wong KK(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Occupational Therapy Department, United Christian Hospital
(2)Health Resource Centre, United Christian Hospital
Introduction :
Driven by the mental health recovery-oriented practice and patient empowerment movement, Persons-in-Recovery (PIR) shift from ‘‘patient’’ to ‘‘citizen’’ roles through the social inclusion process. Successful strategies should be assured by corresponding changes in the PIR and the public’s attitudes and life position through interactive activities. Drama in a therapeutic context has been used to enhance self-esteem, self-knowledge, and the processing of traumatic events.
Objectives :
1) To promote youngsters’ understanding and acceptance towards PIR via social contact and co-producing a drama theater
2) To reduce self-stigmatization and advocate de-stigmatization towards mental illness in the local youth community
Methodology :
The Occupational Therapy Department and Health Resource Centre of United Christian Hospital have embarked on a project titled “Life Legend on the Stage” in 2019. PIR attending the psychiatric day hospital and students of secondary and tertiary institutes were recruited. All participants joined hands to present their life challenges with advocating de-stigmatization messages in the interactive theater to the general public through a sharing forum.
A total of 25 local students and 15 PIR participated in this project. 222 public people attended the interactive theater. The program allowed students and PIRs to understand each other through psychoeducation, mutual sharing, experiential learning, and co-production of a drama theater. During the public sharing forum, the audience participated in the discussion and suggested different possibilities to the drama's endings. PIR were empowered with autonomy and self-determination through involvement in the decision making of all parts of the project, including planning, organizing, performing and evaluating.
Result & Outcome :
Questionnaire on Public Attitudes towards mental illness and questionnaire on attitudes and understanding towards mental disorders were returned from students with a response rate of 72% and 64%, respectively. Besides, 107 satisfaction surveys were collected from the audience in the public drama theatre in public sharing forum. 100% of them showed satisfaction about the forum and having an increased understanding of PIR. They changed their impression that PIR are always introverted, poor temper control and unpredictable, to more positive impressions, such as following the rules.
Participants and audiences gained a deeper mutual understanding as to arouse social awareness on mental health and stigmatization. The public is very impressed by the lived experience of the PIR.
All the data clearly indicated that the project was effective in reducing stigmatizing attitudes from the students and public. Moreover, the PIR have reduced self-stigma by reframing their identities and become more confident to disclose their illness.
