The Science of Art4Health
There is an abundance of systematic research supporting the value of art in healthcare environments. We're fortunate to have two recent 'scoping reviews' (assessments of existing research) both completed in 2021 that investigate how visual art affects the well-being of children and adults.
Visual Arts in Children’s Hospitals: Scoping Review concludes: "Taken together, the works we analyzed in our study support the use of visual arts in hospitals as a resource to enhance the well-being of children and families and their experience in the hospital. We indicate two particularly relevant aspects in this sense: the importance of the visual arts in improving the symbolic quality of hospitalization settings and the communication processes that occur in these environments."
Art as Contextual Element in Improving Hospital Patients’ Well-Being: A Scoping Review provides evidence "of the positive effects of art on patient outcomes in a hospital context. It is concluded that artworks can positively affect the mood of patients and offer them means to better cope with mental and physical health conditions."
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- Ullán AM, Belver MH. Visual Arts in Children’s Hospitals: Scoping Review. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal. 2021;14(4):339-367.
- Timonen Kristina, Timonen Tero. (2021) Art as Contextual Element in Improving Hospital Patients’ Well-Being: A Scoping Review. Journal of Applied Arts & Health, 12 (2), 177.
We're pleased to share a selection of resources included in these reviews:
Regarding Children:
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Regarding Adults:
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