A study exploring how online museum programmes and virtual museum experiences impact individuals suffering chronic pain is being developed by an international team of university researchers. The research was previously based in museums, but lockdown has led to the project being extended to cover online experiences. Previous studies have shown that social disconnection can make pain feel more intense, while social connections can help decrease the intensity, and researchers are trying to find out how this can be translated into patient care.
Researchers from University College London, the University of California, Davis, and the University of Zurich, in collaboration with the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance, are looking for volunteer participants who suffer from chronic pain to take part in the study.