A groundbreaking scientific initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO), Jameel Arts & Health Lab, and The Lancet medical journal is providing concrete evidence that art can play a significant role in promoting physical and mental health, alongside traditional wellness practices like proper sleep, good nutrition, and exercise. This comprehensive research effort aims to demonstrate the measurable health benefits of incorporating arts into healthcare delivery systems.
According to an official statement published on the WHO's website, integrating arts into healthcare has been proven to support positive clinical outcomes for patients while also benefiting healthcare providers, patients' families, and the broader community. The benefits span multiple areas including health promotion, management of medical conditions and illnesses, and disease prevention strategies.
In 2023, the WHO and Jameel Arts & Health Lab announced the upcoming Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts. This ambitious project consists of a series of research papers and commissioned studies to be published by The Lancet, one of the world's leading medical journals. The initiative is being spearheaded by Professor Nisha Sajnani, who serves as co-director at the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and director of drama therapy and arts and health at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, alongside Dr. Nils Fietje, co-director at the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and technical officer at the WHO regional office for Europe.
On the Jameel Arts & Health Lab website, Sajnani and Fietje explain that a growing body of evidence supports the health benefits of arts engagement. They reference a landmark 2019 WHO report that analyzed over 900 studies conducted between 2000 and 2019, demonstrating that participation in various art forms including music, theater, dance, and visual arts offers extensive mental, physical, and social health benefits.
The first article in the Lancet Global Health series has recently been published and represents a historic milestone – it is the first photo essay in The Lancet's 202-year history. The collection features 32 carefully selected photographs chosen by Stephen Stapleton, co-director at the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, and his research team. These images powerfully illustrate the potential of integrating art into challenging institutional and clinical environments.
The photo essay showcases diverse examples of arts-based interventions across different settings and populations. Featured images include a clown school operating within a refugee camp in Turkey, demonstrating how performance arts can provide relief and joy in crisis situations. Another photograph captures a movement program being conducted at a nursing home in Singapore, showing how dance and physical expression can benefit elderly residents. The collection also includes documentation of a project by renowned street artist JR at Tehachapi maximum security prison in California, illustrating how visual arts can transform even the most restrictive environments.
Additional articles in the comprehensive series are scheduled for publication later this year, promising to provide further scientific evidence and case studies supporting the integration of arts into healthcare practices. This research represents a significant step forward in establishing arts-based interventions as legitimate components of modern healthcare delivery systems.
