Can Art Improve Your Health?
It’s 2:00 pm, and Julie Raines (not her real name) is looking forward to meeting with hospice staff. But today she isn’t seeing a doctor, nurse, or social worker. Today, she’s working with an art therapist. Julie has a rare neurological disorder. Before she started doing art, she was hostile towards her treatment team. Now she is able to express her anger—and recently, some positive emotions as well—on paper. Her team notes that she has become more accepting of her disease process and more able to express her needs to the care team.
Art for an Alzheimer’s Patient
Laura Briggins (not her real name) sits in a circle of senior citizens with Alzheimer’s disease. She examines a photograph of a smiling baby sitting in a large purse. “What do you think is happening in that picture?” the therapist prompts and Laura, who rarely speaks anymore, responds, “The baby crawled into a doctor’s bag!”
Art in Medicine
More and more, art is finding its way into the hallowed halls of the medical world. Patients are being encouraged to express their fears and hopes through drawing, journaling, storytelling, writing poetry, creating music, working with clay, and using other artistic mediums. Patients who receive art therapy often report looking forward to their sessions and feeling better after seeing the art therapist.
Many medical professionals have given art therapy the thumbs up as well, noting that patients who receive art therapy are less depressed, more relaxed, and more cooperative than patients who do not receive adjunct therapies.
Is there Evidence for the Healing Power of Art?
At this point, however, the evidence that supports art therapy is largely anecdotal—that is, based on the stories of a few people. In order for art therapy to become completely accepted by the medical world, it will need to show its worth through carefully planned research studies. Such studies may also help identify which patients respond best to art therapy and which types of art therapy are most effective.
In the meantime, the next time you see your doctor, don’t be surprised if you get a prescription for an easel and paintbrush!
photo credit: Aplomb
Tags: art therapy, art treatment, disorders, healing art, health and art, health care, hospice
