Health Benefits of Arts and Cultural Experiences

Health Benefits of Arts and Cultural Experiences

It is critical to recognize the value of arts as a healing tool in people's lives. That was the conclusion of the World Health Organization in a study which compiled more than 900 scientific publications worldwide on this fact. The research confirms that artistic and cultural activities promote good health, improve the symptoms of various physical and mental illnesses and provide significant benefits to our cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being; all from an inclusive perspective and easily accessible to all.

The study tracks the benefits of artistic and cultural activities for health since there have been many investigations on the effects of the arts on the health and well-being of people. However, the result of all these studies points in the same direction: art and culture positively impact people's mood and reduce stress.

Some studies show that these types of experiences promote the development of interpersonal skills, stress management, conflict resolution, and a positive increase in self-esteem, making the patient promote positive changes in their lifestyle. In studies carried out by Lelchuk Staricoff (s.f.) in hospital environments, it is possible to show that artistic experiences enable patients to tolerate pain and the adverse effects of some medical treatments:

• They reduce anxiety, depression, and stress in patients with cancer.
• It improves blood pressure and heart rate in patients with cardiovascular disorders.
• Minimize some behavioral disorders—such as eating and sleeping disorders, disruptive behaviors, and drug use—associated with specific mental pathologies.
• It stimulates emotional and motor responses in Parkinson's patients.
• Promotes social skills and decreases memory loss in patients with Alzheimer's.

In this connection between art and health, art plays like an instrument that allows people's personal and social growth. People who welcome art and culture in their lives can improve their physical and mental health by experiencing artistic activities like dancing, singing, visiting museums, and going to concerts, theaters, cinemas, or galleries. These activities can improve people's physical and mental health by promoting social interaction and reducing the feeling of loneliness.

The Art Pharmacy works from the conviction that art and culture are essential to well-being, both at an individual and community level. According to the NeuroArts Blueprint, an initiative designed to strengthen, normalize, and advance the emerging field of neuro art, scientific studies increasingly confirm what humans across cultures and throughout time have recognized: we are wired for art. The arts can improve physical and mental health in all modalities, enhance our ability to prevent, manage, or recover from illnesses, enhance children's brain development, build more equitable communities, and foster well-being through multiple biological systems.

Our work is grounded in serving as a comprehensive platform to connect people experiencing specific behavioral health issues with a network of arts and cultural organizations that already offer programs to their community. Working through the arts and centering community and creative cultures heals people and systems to create new ways of living.