Benefits of Art for Mental Health
By: Kyle Quilatan
Published on: November 1st, 2024
The worth of the arts as a profession has been in question for many years. However, the benefits of engaging in art or even seeing it are undeniable. For many, art brings a sense of calm. It provides an escape from a hectic everyday life. For others, art is a way of connecting with others and reaching out. Even if you do not wish to pursue the arts full-time, there are many benefits to engaging with them recreationally.
When led by artists such as painters or musicians, art and health programs that engage with art in everyday life offer a range of mental health benefits. Such programs can include visual arts like sculpting and writing, performance arts like dancing and singing, and even gardening or culinary arts.
The arts are also beneficial on a social level, as art can bring people together. As we grow older, individuals can sometimes feel isolated due to changes within friendships, family connections and schedules. Active involvement in local arts programs can help people build new connections and find support among fellow art enthusiasts or casual art enjoyers alike. This is especially true in care homes, where creative activities foster a greater sense of community between residents and staff, improving overall well-being.
Art can also be beneficial for certain mental health treatments. Enter creative arts therapies. These therapies help patients engage with art such as painting, music and poetry in order to address specific health goals. Art therapy was not formally recognized until 1940. At the time, doctors began to discover that patients with mental illness would often try to express themselves through art. This inspired the idea to use art as a method of healing.
The main idea behind creative art therapy is that through free artistic expression, patients can feel better about themselves or their situations and feel more motivated to recover. The end goal of art therapy is to help improve a patient’s focus, communication, self-esteem and emotion-processing capabilities. Creative arts therapy is used to supplement treatments for conditions like anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.
Art therapists carefully plan sessions in order to meet a patient’s unique goals by gathering the necessary materials and interventions for the patient’s case. The creative activities being performed increase patient insight. The patients experience less stress, increased cognitive and neurosensory capabilities, improved memory and improved interpersonal relationships, among other things.
Creative art therapy not only has mental benefits, but also helps with physical bodily functions (particularly in the brain) in order to further improve mental health. According to Mayo Clinic, making or even simply seeing art can have physical impacts on the brain. For example, art can increase serotonin levels and increase blood flow to parts of the brain associated with pleasure.
In a 2018 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, therapists used creative processes like weaving, collaging, clay modelling, drawing and painting to help treat patients exhibiting symptoms of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. Symptoms of depression and anxiety can include frequent irritability, frustration or restlessness, feelings of guilt or helplessness, and excessive muscle tension. Results showed that those engaging in the art therapy interventions were able to lessen their symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Creative art therapy can also make a positive impact on conditions like schizophrenia. In a 2014 study conducted by researchers from Charité University Medicine Berlin, one group of schizophrenia patients received art therapy interventions while another received standard care. Positive symptoms of schizophrenia can include hallucinations, delusions or hyperactivity. Negative symptoms can include apathy, lethargy or withdrawal from social events. Results showed that those who engaged with art therapy displayed a significantly greater average decline in positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia than those who received standard care.
Although art as a profession is not for everyone, there are many reasons to engage with art as a hobby or even as health treatment. Art provides freedom of expression that has widespread applications. It should not be underestimated. Consider picking up an artistic hobby to see what benefits a bit of creativity can bring you.