What arts can offer in a health context
‘People all over the country are using the arts to make a real difference to health and healthcare. […] Arts and health is not a new, untested or fringe activity. It has long been delivering robust improvements to our health services.’
- A Prospectus for Arts and Health, Department of Health with Arts Council England, 2007
The arts can help with:
- Building confidence, a sense of achievement, and empowerment - moving beyond a service user identity.
- Promoting social interaction and companionship; encouraging involvement and collaboration; reducing social exclusion.
- Improving communication and the ability to express one’s feelings, verbally and non-verbally; stimulating empathy and trust through sharing in a safe environment.
- Promoting social interaction and companionship; encouraging involvement and collaboration; reducing social exclusion.
- Improving communication and the ability to express one’s feelings, verbally and non-verbally; stimulating empathy and trust through sharing in a safe environment.
- Reducing stress, anxiety and depression; encouraging relaxation and a sense of calm, wellbeing and happiness.
- Mental, sensory and emotional interest and stimulus, keeping the brain active and alert, increasing problem solving, concentration and fine motor skills.
- Widening aspirations and opportunities, allowing people to be more receptive to change.
- Improving mental and physical energy, encouraging movement.
- Providing coping mechanisms and distraction from troubles and pain.
… for staff and carers, as well as service users.
- Mental, sensory and emotional interest and stimulus, keeping the brain active and alert, increasing problem solving, concentration and fine motor skills.
- Widening aspirations and opportunities, allowing people to be more receptive to change.
- Improving mental and physical energy, encouraging movement.
- Providing coping mechanisms and distraction from troubles and pain.
… for staff and carers, as well as service users.
And in the health-care context, arts can be used:
- to support staff and for workforce development, using creative approaches.
- to identify service user needs and engage them with developments that affect them in interesting ways.
- to promote positive messages about healthcare work and organisations.
- to create better health-care environments.
- to reduce dependency on medication.
- to identify service user needs and engage them with developments that affect them in interesting ways.
- to promote positive messages about healthcare work and organisations.
- to create better health-care environments.
- to reduce dependency on medication.
