They use paintings to communicate and understand each other. "Gallery 600" is reopened: focusing on this mental illness with the highest mortality rate
In July, the "Gallery 600" of Shanghai Mental Health Center ushered in the moment of restart: "Love, Food and Life - Eating Disorders Science Art Exhibition" officially kicked off today. This exhibition is hosted by Shanghai Mental Health Center and Shanghai Mental Health Center Eating Disorders Diagnosis and Treatment Center, aiming to enhance the public's understanding of eating disorders through the power of art, promote the recovery of patients and the understanding of society.
Eating disorders are a type of intractable mental illness, among which anorexia has a mortality rate of up to 5% to 20%, the highest among all mental illnesses. However, in recent years, the prevalence of eating disorders has continued to rise, seriously affecting the mental and physical health of patients and family happiness. In 2017, the Municipal Jingwei Center established the country's first eating disorder diagnosis and treatment center, constantly exploring innovative prevention and treatment models, and established a multidisciplinary full-process intervention model based on family cooperation. In October 2020, the Shanghai Mental Health Center-Taihe Big Health Fund was established, mainly to support the popularization of eating disorders; in July 2021, my country’s first eating disorder public welfare hotline "Smart Food and Smart Love" was established; in November 2021, the "Lekang Huiai Volunteer Team" under the leadership of the Social Work Department was established, which not only provides volunteer services for patients and families with eating disorders, but also carries out popularization of eating disorders throughout society.
"We hope that in the process of continuously innovating service and management models, we can use innovative popular science for the general public as one of the important means." Dean Zhao Min said that art exhibitions are an effective way to raise public awareness and promote patient recovery. The ultimate goal is to provide more support and help to patients.
The works exhibited in this exhibition come from patients who participated in art therapy at the Eating Disorders Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Shanghai Mental Health Center, as well as artists and rehabilitated patients collected from the society. The works created by teachers Xia Chuan and Yu Heng in the wards are also exhibited in the exhibition, reflecting the important role of art therapy in the patient's rehabilitation process. The exhibition will last for 3 months. Chen Jue, director of the Clinical Psychology Department, mentioned that the rehabilitation process of patients with eating disorders is very important, and the volunteer team plays a key role in providing emotional support, popular science publicity and community participation. As a rehabilitated patient, Zhang Qinwen, the curator of this art exhibition, shared her experience of engaging in popular science publicity for eating disorders.
"I have helped people with body anxiety, appearance anxiety and eating problems through my public account EDHealer, various exhibitions and documentary filming." She mentioned that art is not only a way of self-expression, but also a medium for connection and healing. Another curator, Zhao Zihe, hopes to promote dialogue and understanding through this exhibition, and support people with eating disorders to find balance and courage.
It is reported that the Municipal Jingwei Center created the "No. 600 Art Exhibition" in 2019 and officially established the "No. 600 Gallery" in August 2021. It has successively held exhibitions focusing on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, adolescent mental health and other themes, playing a positive role in improving the public's mental health literacy and has become an important science popularization business card and base. This exhibition is co-organized by the Lekang Huiai Volunteer Team and EDHealer, curated by Zhao Zihe/MW and Zhang Qinwen, and designed by Tang Xiaojuan.
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