-Rachel Hajar, MD
-Paul Braswell, Registered Nurse, Art Collector
IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES THROUGH ART IS A LARGELY UNTAPPED RESOURCE
VIEWING ART IMPROVES OVERALL HEALTH AND WELL BEING
Setting aside a few hours to stroll through a gallery, or to attend an art exhibit at a museum, has a proven link to good health and life satisfaction. Experiencing art can also help lower anxiety, alleviate depression, and improve critical thinking, delivering positive consequences with significant results for all of us.
The clever healing mechanism of art, regardless of subjectivity of beauty or topic, is that art can engage our brain’s reward system. Simply viewing art can lead to the release of dopamine, a
Art may free the brain from the limitations of reality, allowing it to forge new emotional and cognitive associations. Consequently, introducing art into patients’ environments can help patients’ brains be more relaxed and potentially stimulate more healing and quicker recover.

Clinical Benefits of Arts & Crafts
- Improves vital signs
- Reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol
- Lowers the amount of medication required to induce sleep
- Decreases the need for narcotic pain medication
- Speeds hospital discharge time
Emotional Benefits of Arts & Crafts
- Reduces symptoms of emotional distress
- Boosts psychological well-being and resilience
- Improves coping ability
- Facilitates expression of feelings
- Enhances self-worth and self-esteem
- Enables the maintenance of social identity

MORE POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR HEALTH PROVIDERS
Based on accumulating evidence that art can make for better doctors, Harvard Medical School and the University of Chicago are offering new courses that require their medical students to view art. The goal will be to improve healthcare providers’ understanding of disease and to refine their observation skills, leading to better patient care through art.
Placing art in healthcare settings enriches both the patients’ chances of recovery and the healthcare providers’ performance. That magical combination taps into the power of art, achieving success and wellness in a mutually beneficial partnership for everyone.