The healing power of art is being harnessed as a new prescription for wellness, with museums and cultural activities prescribed by healthcare providers to improve physical and mental health.
Arts have long been used as an aesthetic aid in hospitals and healthcare facilities, and art therapy has existed since the mid-20th Century. However, the practice of prescribing art and cultural activities by providers in clinical settings has gained momentum in recent years under the umbrella of social prescribing.
Social prescribing involves healthcare professionals referring patients to non-medical supports and services, which can include engaging with the arts through exhibition visits, classes, and cultural programs. This approach has been gaining traction, with various initiatives popping up across the country.
The Rise of Arts Prescriptions
In Massachusetts, the Mass Cultural Council has created a statewide arts prescription program, connecting hospitals and primary care providers to over 300 arts and cultural organizations. The program follows a successful pilot in 2021, which inspired an artsRx program in New Jersey. This partnership between the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and insurer Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield covers up to six months of members’ arts prescriptions.
At New York City Health and Hospitals, patients and healthcare workers alike can participate in various arts activities, including painting, jewelry making, photography, creative writing, and botanical printing. Companies like Art Pharmacy are working to integrate art prescriptions into more managed care plans nationwide, including a program for students at Stanford University.
The Science Behind Arts Prescriptions
A growing body of research links arts engagement to significant improvements in individual and population health. A landmark review of over 3,000 studies concluded that art played ‘a major role in the prevention of ill health… and management and treatment of illness across the lifespan.‘ The EpiArts Lab collaboration between the University of Florida Center for Arts and Medicine (UFCAM) and University College London suggests that arts engagement can:
-
Reduce stress and loneliness
-
Increase physical activity and social cohesion
- Boost happiness and wellbeing
Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
It helps to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
Physical activity also improves mental health by reducing stress and anxiety levels.
The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week for adults.
The UFCAM framework proposes several mechanisms through which art is medicinal, including promoting empathy, facilitating meaning-making, and encouraging self-expression and self-efficacy. Their research indicates that arts and cultural engagement can be used to help treat symptoms of various conditions, including Parkinson’s, chronic pain, depression, and addiction.
Parkinson's disease treatment focuses on managing symptoms and slowing disease progression.
Medications, such as levodopa and dopamine agonists, help regulate movement and balance.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is also effective in reducing motor symptoms.
Lifestyle modifications, including exercise, physical therapy, and speech therapy, are essential for maintaining independence.
Researchers are exploring new treatments, including gene therapy and stem cell transplantation.
A Field Guide for Health and Social Care Systems
To support the integration of arts prescriptions into programming, UFCAM has created a field guide in collaboration with Mass Cultural Council and arts and health expert Dr. Tasha Golden. The guide highlights the potential benefits of social prescribing, including cost savings by reducing pressure on healthcare systems.
The United Kingdom’s nationalized healthcare system has seen more systematic integration of social prescribing, with research suggesting that engaging with the arts generates £8 billion worth of improvements in people’s quality of life each year. As Dr. Jill Sonke, founding director of UFCAM, notes, cultural shifts in American healthcare are possible, and doctors now recommend regular exercise as a way to improve health.
In July 2024, Arts for Everybody—a one-day campaign supporting participatory art projects across 18 cities and towns in the United States—sought to create a national conversation on the role arts play in health and connection. The campaign was inspired by the Federal Theatre Project of 1936, when 18 cities and towns premiered their interpretations of the same play on the same day.
The concept of 'arts for everybody' emphasizes inclusivity and accessibility in the arts.
This approach recognizes that art is a fundamental human right, not just a privilege for the few.
To achieve this goal, many museums, galleries, and cultural institutions offer free or discounted admission, audio descriptions, sign language interpretation, and wheelchair accessibility.
Additionally, digital platforms have made it possible to experience 'arts' remotely, reaching a broader audience worldwide.
The success of Arts for Everybody has paved the way for further initiatives, including a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to **Urban Health Plan—one of the largest federally qualified health center systems in New York State—to continue its arts-based social prescribing program at three community health centers in the South Bronx.
- observer.com | Museums as Medicine? The Growing Trend of Art Prescriptions
