What is the Role of Arts for Wellbeing in the United States?

What is the Role of Arts for Wellbeing in the United States? 

A study published in 2022 based out of the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine Interdisciplinary Research Lab sought to evaluate the role of arts for wellbeing in communities within the United States.  This review article looked at 44 publications over a 7-year period that evaluated the impact of community-based art interventions, including music, dance and theater, on measures of overall wellbeing.  A total of 5080 research participants were included in this study population, with positive associations of art interventions found across physical, emotional, psychological, cognitive, and social outcomes.   

But, before we get into the study details, why is this even important? 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease.”  Given this definition, individual well-being is an important factor in maintaining a positive state of health.  While the current healthcare paradigm in the United States is focused on disease mitigation, true health as defined by the WHO encompasses much more than “merely the absence of disease.”  

Community level interventions for health promotion and disease prevention is a public health measure that benefits individuals, communities, and has the potential to alleviate current strains on our healthcare system related to staff shortages and rising economic burdens.  While “arts in health” refers to the use of art in clinical settings, this specific study looked at the effects that community-based art interventions have as a tool for promoting wellbeing within the United States.  Community-based programs refer to any art activities that take place in non-clinical settings such as community centers, parks, schools, prisons, and arts facilities.   

Community-based interventions such as these are already built into the medical system in many other countries.  What first started as “social prescribing” in the United Kingdom is now also being used in Canada, Japan, Australia, and other countries in Europe as a modality for health promotion.  Studies on social prescribing in these countries demonstrate many positive effects on overall wellbeing as well as a reduction in healthcare costs and emergency room visits.   

While not yet integral to the U.S. healthcare system, social prescribing is gaining momentum here as small pilot studies are currently underway.  This current study provides support of the positive associations and impact that community-based arts programs have on overall well-being, specifically in the following areas: 

Emotional Functioning 

Increased self-awareness, self-esteem, happiness, confidence, self-efficacy, grit, vitality, sense of achievement, psychological safety, and sense of feeling valued 

Reduction in mental health distress 

Example:  Participants in a 6-week drama workshop reported positive changes in their happiness, confidence, and self-esteem following completion of the program 

Social Functioning 

Increased social connectedness 

Decreased social isolation and loneliness 

Example:  One study showed improved social interaction skills in children with autism after several visits to an art museum 

Physical Functioning  

Improved physiologic wellbeing with less disease burden, more energy, and improved physical balance 

Example:  Studies examining dance participation demonstrated improved physical functioning in the areas listed above 

Cognitive Functioning 

Example:  Improved focus in older adults who engaged in painting, drawing, mixed media, and creative writing tasks 

Healthcare Costs 

Example:  Less healthcare costs noted in older adults who participated in community choir when compared with a control group who did not participate in this intervention 

Interestingly, greater benefits were found when participation was active versus receptive, meaning when participants actively engaged in an arts intervention versus watching or observing an arts activity.    

Only 2 of the 44 studies reviewed demonstrated negative outcomes, with a higher rate of anxiety in drama workshop participants and a higher likelihood of thinking about engaging in high-risk activities when college students listened to rap music versus other types of music.  It’s unclear whether more negative outcomes exist but have not yet been reported or published.   

While the impact of community-based arts interventions on wellbeing continues to be an evolving area of research, current literature supports many positive associations of engaging in these interventions on overall emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.   

Reference: 

Front. Psychol., 09 February 2022 
Sec. Health Psychology 
Volume 12 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.791773