 In May 2005, the Breckland Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) considered how an arts-based project might contribute to its own strategic priorities. It endorsed the theme of men’s health, to be explored further with the two primary care trusts (PCTs) that cover Breckland: Southern Norfolk and West Norfolk.
Raising the profile of men’s health is an aim of the LSP’s Community Plan for Breckland 2005/15 . Free-of-charge physical activities, such as Walking for Health, are a well-established option for patients in need of exercise and are a priority for the Breckland Community Plan. The project steering group suggested that men’s mental health was an area of need that would lend itself to an arts-based approach – a view in line with wider strategic thinking at county, regional and national level.
Research suggests that many men face particular challenges that can lead to mental health problems, and also make it more difficult for them to seek appropriate help. Free-of-charge creative activities, comparable to Walking for Health, would allow GPs to offer patients a positive course of action to reduce mild depression, in cases where medication was not yet felt appropriate.
If our fundraising target for this work is achieved, the following Creative Change project will be delivered in Breckland during 2006 - 2007.
| Theme | Men’s mental health | | Aims | To pilot a successful model of creative activities for men, in the early stages of depression, referred by GPs and others involved in community-based mental health. | | To develop a sound business case for sustaining the model through practice-based commissioning by GPs across Norfolk. | | To encourage Norfolk’s health sector to embed the model as a widely-available option for GPs to consider in appropriate cases. | | Target audience | Adult male patients, of surgeries within the Breckland district, diagnosed as having mild depression. Typically, their GP will want to take positive action to address the problem, but not feel that anti-depressants are yet appropriate. | | Summary | Three arts activity groups for men referred by their GPs or by others in the mental health field. Each group will be led by an experienced lead artist, assisted by two project artists. Artforms to be decided in consultation with likely participants. | | When and where | The three groups will run for twenty weekly sessions of two hours, over the period September 2006 - February 2007. The groups will be based in Dereham, Thetford and Swaffham in suitable community venues unrelated to healthcare. |
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