Highlighting the creative arts for World Mental Health Day

The role of poetry and the creative arts as therapy for supporting wellbeing is being highlighted by a senior peer support worker to mark World Mental Health Day (October 10).

Rose Smith, who works for Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, has written a powerful collection of poems recounting her lived experience of mental health.

Rose, an experienced mental health advocate currently working in Specialist Perinatal Services, says her verses serve as therapy for everyone’s wellbeing, but especially for those receiving care from GMMH.

She says: “I have volunteered in mental health services for around 15 years, following my own journey through mental ill-health, which started more than three decades ago, and found that my poetry carries a personal truth that has collective resonance.

“It speaks directly regarding the challenges faced by those with lived experience of mental health issues and their contribution to influencing how support services are delivered.”

As Rose continues her work in perinatal mental health, she hopes her poems, some of which have been co-written with a friend and published in a magazine, will spark conversations and inspire change.

She says: “The aim of my poetry was initially to help me when I felt unwell but has now become words that others can use to help them understand that movement forward is possible and things can change for the better. It is OK to talk about your darkest moments, and through this expression, healing can begin.

“How transformative words can be. People often listen to a song or read a poem and think ‘wow, that is talking about me’ or carry the lyrics in their hearts, helping them get through a tricky chapter in their life. Words have the power to damage, but they also have the amazing capacity to heal.”

She says that working as a peer support worker has enabled her to share parts of her story with service users and help them start their journey to improve their wellbeing.

She also highlights the value of singing, such as karaoke sessions, and music and movement to boost mental health and well-being.

“I’ve really enjoyed holding expressive spaces for service users through the karaoke sessions, for example, and currently, I facilitate Singing Mamas sessions in the Mother and Baby Unit where I have received feedback words including ‘connected and empowered.’ It has been, and always will be, a privilege to see the magic healing powers of music.”