Evidence base

The arts are increasingly used to enhance health and social care environments and to improve health and wellbeing.

The 2007 Department of Health and Arts Council England publication, 'A Prospectus for Arts and Health' endorses the use of arts to address a range of healthcare goals. A growing evidence base supports this. The information on this page is intended to give readers an introduction to some of the work in this area and links to sources of further information.

Professor Roger Ulrich has been a leader in the field of design and health since the 1980s. He co-wrote a study in 2004 which found over 700 peer-reviewed research studies demonstrating the beneficial impact of the environment on health outcomes. Many of these showed economic savings as well as higher staff, patient and service user satisfaction levels.

Dr Rosalia Staricoff’s 2004 review of the medical literature for Arts Council England cites nearly 400 papers showing the beneficial impact of the arts on a wide range of health outcomes. She also published 'A Study on the Effects of the Visual and Performing Arts in Healthcare for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital' in 2004.

A number of UK universities are producing valuable work in the field of arts and health. These include:

• The Art and Health Research Programme at the University of the West of England (UWE) is at the forefront of research in this area and has been involved in the evaluation of a number of recent Willis Newson arts projects.
• The Sidney de Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health at Christ Church, Canterbury is particularly committed to researching the contribution of music in promoting the wellbeing and health of individuals and communities.
• A 2007 collaborative project between Anglia Ruskin and the University of Central Lancashire focused on developing the evidence base around the impact of participatory arts on those with mental health needs.
• Durham University’s Centre for Arts and Humanities in Health and Medicine (CAHHM) has produced key research into the impact of public art and participatory arts in healthcare settings.

Useful electronic sources of information include:

• The Cochrane Library includes studies and reviews of the impact of arts and arts therapies that have resulted in the inclusion of arts therapies in NICE guidelines.
• Journal of Art and Health
• The Journal of Applied Arts and Health
• The government’s Culture and Sport Evidence Programme (CASE) is a research programme investigating cultural and sports engagement at the national level.

Willis Newson Briefing Papers

You will find further detail on many of the studies mentioned above, including references, in a paper we have put together: Download Arts and Health Evidence and Evaluation.

The January 2011 British Medical Association (BMA) report, 'The psychological and social needs of patients'  references the role the arts play in meeting the psychological and social needs of patients. We have prepared a Briefing Paper summarising the key points of the report as they relate to arts and health.