An Art Lover? Study Says It's Good For Health And Well-being

Are you an art lover and a cultural enthusiast? Do you feel great interacting with artists and cultural ambassadors, then there's a good news for you! A study, undertaken for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), in collaboration between Frontier and the World Health Organization's Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health, based in University College London found that participation in music, and engaging with art and heritage can have a healthy impact on physical and mental health.

If you believe the study, consuming culture is not just good for you, but also generates £8bn a year worth of improvements in people’s quality of life and higher productivity.

The study found that going to an arts event or just participating occasionally in cultural activity every few months leads to "significant" benefits that can include alleviating pain, frailty, depression and dependence on medication. Mathew Bell of Frontier Economics, and co-author of the research said, "Engagement with performance-based art such as plays, musicals and ballet, and particularly participation in music, is linked to reductions in depression and in pain and improved quality of life.” The study further notes that it can even help postpone the onset of dementia.

Professor Daisy Fancourt, the director of WHO center and co-author of the research said, "arts engagement has diverse and tangible effects on health, from supporting cognitive development and protecting against cognitive decline, to reducing symptoms of mental illness and enhancing wellbeing, reducing pain and stress, via the same neurological and physiological pathways activated by medication, reducing loneliness, and maintaining physical functioning, thereby reducing frailty and age-related physical decline."

It is because art engagement can help to reduce unnecessary pressure on health services, and enables individual to manage themselves and their own health more proactively.

The report which was also part of the government-commissioned review cited 13 different groups of people - from the young to the old- whose health and wellbeing improved when they attended or participated in artistic pursuits.

People who were over 65 took drawing classes every week for three months at their local museum created a financial dividend of an average £1,310 each from going to see their GP less and feeling better about their lives.

When studied 3,333 young adults between ages 18 and 28, it was found that those who took part in organized artistic, musical or theatrical activities felt happier and their lives had more meaning and value as a result.

Most benefits comes from people's improved quality of life, while the other benefit comes from their improved productivity at work, after they engage in arts. The finds also suggest that not only could further arts investment be valuable for individuals and health service as part of a preventative health agenda, but this study should be used as a proof to prevent any cut to arts funding.

"The research, commissioned by DCMS, shows how culture and heritage can directly impact our lives, improving our physical and mental wellbeing, and highlights the importance of preserving our rich heritage to ensure it can enrich the lives of many for years to come,” said Chris Bryant.

Art therapy is not a new concept, however, it was formally established in 1940s, as it served as a means for clients to delve into their inner thoughts, feelings and experiences through creative expression. Michigan State University writes that Mollagolu and colleagues in their book Art Therapy with the Extent of Health Promotion proposed that art therapy should be integrated into health promotion efforts and the enhancement of recovery from illness.

As per a 2022 literature review published in Cureus on the Role of Art Therapy in the Promotion of Mental Health reveals that therapists frequently assign patient's freeform art expression to help with discussions about the image and encourage introspection.

Maxine Borowsky Junge's book The History of Art Therapy mentions that mental health professionals have utilized art therapy over the years, treating patients of all ages, including children, older adults, war veterans, prisoners, and those with diagnosed mental disorder. Cathy Malchiodi, the author of The Art Therapy Sourcebook also writes that art therapy may help people work through overpowering emotions, and trauma.