A Summary Of Studies About Art And Health
For this post, I thought I would summarize the findings gathered from multiple studies that have been done on the interaction between art and the patient (as opposed to hospital staff) experience.
Art, in one form or another, has been integrated into hospitals and healthcare settings since the Middle Ages. This fact alone suggests that there has been a longstanding subjective appreciation of the positive effects of art on human health. This recognition has, throughout history, resulted in healthcare facilities commissioning ‘the masters,’ ranging from Rembrandt to van Gough to Chagall, to produce artwork for display in their institutions. However, only over the last several decades has research provided objective evidence of the health benefits attributable to art.
Curry Hammock State Park Sunrise ©Howard Grill
Music, dance, and the visual arts have all been shown to have a beneficial effect on patients and the healing process. A summary of these benefits include:
Cancer Therapy – multiple studies have demonstrated the effect of the visual arts and music in improving feelings of anxiety and depression during both radiation and chemotherapy. They were also of benefit in alleviating the unpleasant side effects of such therapy.
Cardiovascular Care – Listening to music in cardiac care units has been documented to reduce subjective levels of anxiety as well as objective measures of blood pressure and heart rate.
Medical Procedures – several genres of art have been shown to improve subjective comfort and objectively reduce cortisol (a stress-related hormone) levels as well as lower blood pressure.
Pain Management – listening to music resulted in a decrease in the physiologic effects of pain, which led to a significant reduction in the use of pain medication.
General Surgery – both music and the visual arts have been demonstrated to reduce anxiety and lead to demonstrable improvements in vital signs.
Pre/Postnatal Care – music added to the routine pre and postnatal care experience led not only to improvements in clinical outcomes, but also resulted in decreased medical costs.
Mental Health – while there have not been many studies looking at the benefits of passive ‘art consumption’ on mental health, there have been studies looking at how active participation in the arts affects these patients (i.e., art therapy). These studies demonstrate beneficial effects.
Over time I will write about many of the studies from which these conclusions are drawn. Sign up below to have these delivered right to your inbox!
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