Art is often seen as something that enriches life, but not something that belongs in medicine. Yet a growing body of evidence suggests that creativity can influence health in meaningful ways, from easing distress to supporting recovery and improving well-being.
That was the central message of a presentation by Prof. Nisha Sajnani, PhD, of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab at New York University and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, delivered at GIMPHA’s 11th annual meeting. Her talk argued that the arts are not a luxury or an afterthought, but an evidence-based resource for health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, and recovery.
The idea that art can heal is ancient. From Aristotle’s catharsis through theatre to Ibn Sina’s use of poetry and music in ancient Persia, and from Ayurvedic traditions in India to the cave paintings of Cueva de las Manos in Argentina, human beings have long connected creativity with well-being. What is new is the scientific framework now available to explain that connection and guide action.
In the presentation, arts and health – also described as culture and health – was defined as an emerging interdisciplinary field that supports the well-being of individuals and communities through cultural practices used in health promotion, prevention, treatment, and disease management. This includes everyday community arts engagement, arts-based public health initiatives, and creative arts therapies such as art, music, dance, and drama therapy used directly in healthcare settings.
What the evidence shows
The evidence base behind this field is substantial. The WHO Regional Office for Europe’s synthesis report reviewed more than 900 publications and over 3,000 studies, finding support for arts engagement across prevention, health promotion, and disease management. The benefits were seen in many areas, including mental health, chronic disease, neurological conditions, cancer care, intensive care, and palliative settings.
The presentation also showed that arts engagement may influence health through several interacting pathways rather than a single mechanism. These include emotional regulation, meaning-making, stress reduction, pain modulation, social connection, identity, and healthier behavior. In other words, the arts appear to work through psychological, physiological, social, and behavioral effects at the same time.
One of the most compelling examples was a randomized trial on singing and postnatal depression. While the overall trend favored singing, the effect was strongest in mothers with moderate to severe symptoms, where group singing led to faster improvement. This example illustrated the practical potential of arts-based interventions in clinical care.
The presentation also addressed why this evidence has not yet been fully translated into routine practice. Barriers include limited public awareness, uneven access, lack of training, insufficient funding, and the absence of system-wide implementation frameworks. Even so, the speaker showed that policy momentum is growing and that arts and health is already being integrated in different countries and settings.
The final message was memorable and direct: the arts are the forgotten fifth pillar of public health. If medicine is to support not only survival but also well-being, recovery, and quality of life, then arts and culture deserve a place in both public health and clinical care.
