Participating in the arts can help keep us healthy, according to a new study from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). The research, Invest to Save: Arts in Health, found that participants felt happier, empowered and more confident after engaging in arts initiatives. The three-year Treasury-funded project was conducted in a partnership between MMU, Arts Council England, North West and the Department of Health, North West Public Health Group, and showed that engaging with activities such as painting, dance, crafts, music and story-telling can increase psychological well-being, and reduce levels of depression.
The project investigated art initiatives conducted in both hospitals and the wider community, and monitored their effect on participants. The researchers suggest that people who are ill, depressed or isolated often have a diminished capacity to deal with challenges, and are not motivated towards healthy behaviour. The report contends that by engaging in inspirational pursuits such as arts initiatives, an individuals capacity for coping and well-being is increased. The research also discovered that arts initiatives have a positive impact on healthcare staff job satisfaction was significantly increased among workers involved with creative activities compared to a control group. The study was lead by Clive Parkinson, from MMUs Faculty of Art and Design who said, The arts can help create a positive environment& which can make people feel more resilient, in control and give them a sense of purpose which leads to greater energy and enthusiasm for life. Welcoming the findings, Damian Hebron of the London Arts in Health Forum said, The research particularly demonstrates the ways that people experiencing depression can benefit from the opportunity to participate in arts activities. Added to work that is going on around the country, this research is building an evidence base that is making the case for arts in health harder and harder for policy-makers to ignore. See Community Focus, p.12