RESEARCH DISCOVERS THE PARTICIPATION IN ARTS AND CULTURE LEADS TO POSITIVE RESULTS IN YOUR HEALTH
Activities involving arts and crafts have been shown to have a positive effect on mental health. Therefore, it should not be surprising that cultural and artistic events are equally good for mental and physical health. Attending or taking part in an arts event, even if only once or every few months, can help reduce health symptoms like pain, depression, and medication dependency, according to new research from Britain's Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS). Researchers found a particularly strong correlation between music and a higher quality of life.
Thirteen distinct groups of people, ranging in age from young to old, were the focus of the DCMS study. Research eventually found that engaging in or attending artistic pursuits enhanced health and well-being. For instance, after three months of weekly attendance, participants over 65 who took "Thursday at the Museum" drawing classes reported higher levels of life satisfaction.
Prof. Daisy Fancourt, the director of the WHO centre and one of the study's co-authors, told The Guardian that "arts engagement has diverse and tangible effects on health, from supporting cognitive development and protecting against cognitive decline to reducing symptoms of mental illness and enhancing wellbeing, including reducing pain and stress, reducing loneliness, and maintaining physical functioning."
Initiatives promoting the arts and culture also lessen the burden on the healthcare system by improving the general well-being of participants. For instance, the participants in "Thursday at the Museum" generated a financial dividend of £1,310 (roughly $1,643) per person since the drawing classes made them feel better and reduced the frequency of their doctor visits.
As part of a preventative health agenda, "[this] suggests that not only could further arts investment be valuable for individuals and the health service, but any cuts to arts funding or provision have to be considered a public health risk," says Fancourt. These results demonstrate the importance of arts and cultural participation for both individuals and entire communities.