Everyone needs a hug. That’s the premise behind a thoughtful initiative to make and distribute "pocket hugs" that has taken root in The Royal’s Integrated Schizophrenia Recovery Program.
Pocket hugs are heart-shaped tokens crocheted by clients and given away to anyone who happens to need one – other clients, family members, staff, and volunteers. Each one is about the size of a coin and serves as a reminder that its keeper is not alone.
It’s a simple project with far-reaching impact, and as it turns out, coming together to make them can be just as powerful as holding one in your hand.
Erica Tripp, a registered practical nurse who works primarily in Integrated Schizophrenia Recovery Program, first spotted pocket hugs at a retirement home in her hometown of Kemptville. She brought some back to show her clients at The Royal.
“They all loved them. They raved about them,” recalls Tripp.
“It's a hug for those who need one – who doesn't need a hug?” reflects Melissa McFadden, manager of patient care services in the Schizophrenia Program. “These little hearts remind people that they're special, that there is someone out there who wants to connect with them, that they’re not forgotten.”
Tripp found a pattern and coordinated the donation of supplies. The pocket hugs quickly became an activity for a therapeutic group in the Schizophrenia Program called “recovery cares.”
Some clients already knew how to crochet, while others learned from their peers or received instruction from Tripp. Additionally, some clients were involved in cutting out and affixing labels, as well as decorating boxes for pocket hug distribution.
“Everyone had the opportunity to participate in some way, even people who couldn’t crochet,” says Tripp.
Hundreds of pocket hearts have been made and given away so far.
Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder that affects about one per cent of Canadians. It’s estimated that in the Ottawa region alone, there are about 12,000 people living with schizophrenia. It’s a chronic disease that typically appears during late teenage years or early adulthood.
People who have schizophrenia often face challenges that affect their ability to function in the community. Symptoms may include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, loss of interest in everyday activities, and social withdrawal. While there is no cure, symptoms can be managed with appropriate treatment.
The goal of The Royal’s Integrated Schizophrenia Recovery Program is to prepare clients for living in the community as independently as possible, while understanding that each person’s path to recovery is as unique as they are.
“Activities such as knitting and crocheting introduce a different therapeutic modality,” explains McFadden. “It’s tactile but it also has a creative connection, and the repetitive motion really helps with anxiety.”
The crocheting of pocket hugs is both a social activity and a mini-meditation, one that encourages a sense of accomplishment and a welcome state of flow – when distractions and worries fall to the wayside and are replaced by a calm enjoyment of the process.
The pocket hugs are also an opportunity for clients to give back to their community, which contributes to their wellness. Whether it’s helping others with the pattern or recruiting new members – the group contributes to a sense of purpose that is so important to the recovery process.
“It’s incredibly powerful to see our clients crocheting … It's meaningful work, and really, that's what we're doing here, trying to make moments meaningful while our clients are recovering, to help them see their value and what they can contribute to their community,” says McFadden.
“You can actually see some of our clients lighten up and brighten up when they're helping others. And knowing that their creation is being shared with others and making a difference, there's a lot of pride in that.”
The pocket hugs were initially shared with a handful of outpatient units at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and the Ozerdinc Grimes Family Regional Psychosis Clinic at City Centre, but Tripp and McFadden would like to expand distribution to more areas within the organization, and, hopefully inspire others to get together and crochet some pocket hugs.
“It's something so small, but it's massively impactful. There are so many barriers for this population – the marginalization of mental illness and the stigma – this brings them together, it brings us together,” says McFadden.