On
Monday, the World Health Organization’s Regional Office of Europe dove deep
into the art world. In a new report, it channeled
its considerable power and resources towards investigating whether art really
could be a powerful form of medicine — ultimately suggesting art can be
therapeutic, and boosting its credibility in the process.
Art therapy isn’t a new field. The journal Art Therapy for instance,
has been around since 1969. But it’s taken fifty years for the idea that art
could be used as medicine to catch the attention of the World Health
Organization (WHO). This report demonstrates that a leading global health power
has finally taken notice.
Over the years, scientists have looked at art as a way to keep
people mentally and physically healthy. In this report,
WHO reviewed the results of over 900 art therapy-related studies, and noted
that all together, art really does influence mental and physical health.
The report states that, overall, these findings “lend
credibility to the assertion that the overall evidence base shows a robust
impact of the arts on both mental and physical health.”
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