Mental health recovery and quilting: Evaluation of a grass-roots project in a small, rural, Australian christian church

Abstract

A small project in a rural community church setting was undertaken to promote mental health recovery for one person and to develop a positive conversation about mental health amongst the wider group. Social capital within the group of people was successfully harnessed so that a warm and supportive recovery environment might be fostered within the broader community. The goals of the project were to reduce mental health stigma and to foster recovery. This was achieved as a mental health nurse, quilt maker, and a team of sewers came together to produce a quilt as a tangible expression of care and support for both the quilt recipient and each other. This project, as a case study, demonstrates how a church faith community and mental health care can be combined and yield positive outcomes. This article outlines how the project proceeded and presents the results of a post-project evaluation survey. Copyright © 2014 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.