David A Faigin

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

In this introduction to the special issue, we describe some of the rewards and challenges of community-based arts initiatives for our discipline. We explore the inherent tensions between art and science that are reflected in community-based arts activities. We pose larger questions about researching community-based arts activities and defining the...

The present study is an in-depth qualitative inquiry with an established theater troupe composed of adults living with psychiatric disabilities known as The Stars of Light. A grounded theory methodology is used to describe dimensions of social activism and characteristics of theater as a medium of engagement at the individual, setting/troupe, and c...

Research and theory identify the college years as a period likely to evoke spiritual questions, tensions, and conflicts. At the same time, students frequently report that they have few resources for engaging these struggles. This paper describes the rationale, development, and initial evaluation of Winding Road, a novel, spiritually-integrated inte...

Although theatrical activities are used in a variety of therapeutic settings, little attention has been paid to the ways that theater can enhance the recovery process and community integration for people living with psychiatric disabilities. Community-based theater involving people with psychiatric disabilities offers unique opportunities for perso...

Background: Interventions that promote contact with people with psychiatric disabilities can decrease negative attitudes about this population. However, little is known about the impact of different types of educational presentations on stigmatizing attitudes of people with serious mental illness across time. Aim: To longitudinally examine the rela...

This study examined the role of religious, benefit finding, and goal-oriented meaning making strategies used by 111 young adults in response to their experience of personal loss. Death of a loved one and relationship loss were the two types of loss most frequently reported by participants. In general, young adults reported being affected by their l...