The health and wellbeing benefits of participating in creative arts activities have witnessed an increasing focus of attention in recent years. However, there is limited knowledge about the impact creative activities have on young people experiencing mental health issues. This research provides an understanding of how and why taking part in creative activities works for young people with mental health difficulties.
By unpacking what engaging in creative activity means and why it is significant to participants as a form of self-expression, social engagement, and empowerment, the study demonstrates how creativity might support young people living with mental health difficulties that can lead to change, growth, and recovery. Findings reveal that self-discovery and transformational learning processes are harnessed through engaging in creativity. Underpinning identity, belonging, and agency as three key dimensions of individual change, these processes have the capacity to support the emergence of hope, purpose, and meaning through uniquely transformative experiences of creative expression.