Aimee Dawson<\/p>\n
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Can you imagine a doctor prescribing art? This year, there have been several such instances internationally\u2014including in Canada<\/a>, the U.S.,<\/a> and Switzerland<\/a>\u2014with patients receiving free entry to museums, exhibition tours, and creative activities to help alleviate a variety of symptoms. (In fact, an Artsy article<\/a> predicted this in 2018…) <\/p>\n Several institutions around the globe are actively working to bring art and well-being closer together. The World Health Organization, for example, co-launched the global initiative Jameel Arts & Health Lab in 2023 with the aim \u201cto measurably improve health and wellbeing through the arts\u201d and \u201cto drive the integration of the arts into mainstream healthcare,\u201d according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cA growing body of research\u2014including a new systematic review by researchers affiliated with our Lab\u2014shows that even a single session of viewing visual art can significantly enhance wellbeing, reduce stress, and activate pleasure and reward pathways in the brain,\u201d said Dr Nisha Sajnani, director of Arts & Health at New York University and co-director of Jameel Arts & Health Lab. \u201cThese effects are amplified by moments of reflection, social connection, and personal meaning\u2014reminding us that art doesn\u2019t just reflect life\u2014it helps us feel more alive.\u201d <\/p>\n From your head to your heart, here are four scientifically-proven ways that art can improve your health and wellbeing. <\/p>\n Art can help your mental health <\/p>\n One of the main ways that viewing art (which is known as receptive engagement in art in scientific literature) has been shown to help well-being by alleviating symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, which improves mental health. <\/p>\n A 2022 study published in Frontiers in Psychology<\/a> found that even a small amount of art viewing, either in person or virtually, significantly reduced stress and anxiety levels, with participants showing lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, and improved mood.<\/p>\n The importance of art engagement in this regard is increasingly being recognized by governments, too. A groundbreaking 2024 study<\/a> commissioned by the U.K. government found a high volume of evidence for the improvement of mental health through \u201cgeneral cultural engagement,\u201d including viewing art. It is estimated that in the U.K., there are \u201c127,000 fewer people with depression\u201d as a result, it noted. <\/p>\n The benefit of viewing art is also being recognized in a clinical context. Hospital Rooms, for example, is a U.K. charity that transforms mental health inpatient units by running creative workshops for patients and commissioning artists to create works for these spaces. \u201cWe are working with people who often have a diagnosis of a severe mental illness, and who face restrictions on their liberties associated with their care,\u201d said Niamh White, the charity\u2019s co-founder. \u201cHere, the artwork operates at a profound level; it can acknowledge a person\u2019s experience, communicate that they are valued, and offer a view of another world and new possibilities. In complement to clinical care, all of these contribute tangibly to recovery and healing.\u201d <\/p>\n The charity recently announced<\/a> a new three-year initiative to work with more than 50 artists\u2014including Peter Liversidge<\/a>, Lakwena Maciver<\/a>, Veronica Ryan<\/a>, and Alberta Whittle<\/a>\u2014on new commissions in U.K. hospitals..<\/p>\n Art can improve social skills and resilience <\/p>\n In our uncertain times, is there a more important life skill than resilience? \u201cViewing art with intention and reflection can enhance emotional awareness and regulation,\u201d wrote the psychiatrist Jason Shimiaie in an article for Psychology Today<\/a>. \u201cWhether through creating, observing, or reflecting on art, we open pathways to self-discovery and resilience.\u201d <\/p>\n The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS), which runs the \u201cYour Art World\u201d initiative for children, says that art can encourage social interaction and help us to communicate important ideas. \u201cWhen we look at art, we see the world through the eyes of the artist,\u201d its website<\/a> states. \u201cArtists can show us a different point of view …. Your Art World celebrates difference, integration and the fact that we all see things differently, encouraging young people to be open-minded, which is one of the traits of a creative mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n Social connections are also especially important for older adults. Isolation and loneliness have been linked to increased health risks<\/a>, such as heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, depression, and cognitive decline. Collaborative activities, such as participating in art groups and attending museums, have been reported to reduce these risks. \u201cArts engagement is central to healthy aging,\u201d according to the U.K. parliamentary report, Creative Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n Engaging with art can help your heart <\/p>\n There is scientific evidence that viewing art can help maintain heart health. Looking at artworks has been reported to reduce blood pressure<\/a> (one report<\/a> even suggests that figurative art is better for your blood pressure than what the report calls \u201cmodern art\u201d). The positive emotions we feel when we are moved by art have also been linked with lower levels of cytokines (proteins that help control inflammation), therefore helping to support immune systems. Another report<\/a> says that nature and spirituality can have similar effects.<\/p>\n Viewing art can also help to lower heart rates\u2014a marker of a person\u2019s state of health\u2014 according to a 2024 study<\/a>. After monitoring older adults participating in art-based activities, including guided visits at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts<\/a> over a three-month period, it concluded that time in the museum \u201csignificantly decreased full day heart rate, suggesting a health benefit in older community dwellers\u201d.<\/p>\n Being around art can lift your mood <\/p>\n Our love for art is chemical\u2014studies show that being in the presence of great art releases dopamine, the \u201cfeel-good\u201d neurotransmitter that contributes to feelings of pleasure. <\/p>\n Research conducted by the neurobiologist Professor Semir Zeki of University College London revealed that the way our brain reacts to beautiful artworks is very similar to how it responds when we are in love. Zeki put subjects in a scanner and showed them a series of paintings every 10 seconds, monitoring the change in blood flow in one part of their brain. The study found that the blood flow increased in proportion to how much the subject liked the painting. <\/p>\n![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1752800770_584_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net\")
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