Why We Need the Arts in Medicine

Check out this article by Gary Christenson, M.D., on the value of including the arts in both medical education and healthcare in general.

Here’s a break down of the main topics:

1. Studying the arts makes medical students into better doctors

2. The arts have therapeutic benefits

3. The arts can help prevent disease

4. The arts can improve the patient experience

5. The arts can promote physician well-being

Hat tip— the Art Therapy Alliance on Twitter.

Asthma and Art Therapy

May’s online issue of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology included a study that demonstrated the effectiveness of art therapy with pediatric asthma patients.

“In art therapy, patients create artwork that helps express their feelings about an illness, a trauma or medical concerns. The artwork can then serve as a starting point for discussions about these issues. Researchers believe that creating art helps participants establish distance between themselves and their medical concerns. They learn to understand that they have a personal identity outside of their illness. It is believed to be particularly effective with children because they often do not have the adult capabilities to verbally articulate their emotions, perceptions, or beliefs, and often can more comfortably convey ideas in ways other than talking.”


Science Daily

The Power of Phototherapy

Thanks to Judy Weiser, who posted this link on the Art Therapy Alliance‘s group Media and Materials in Art Therapy, via LinkedIn.

An interview with Dr. Cherryl Dellasega, Associate Professor at the Penn State University College of Medicine:

The Eyewriter

The Eyewriter from Evan Roth on Vimeo.

Art as Food for the Spirit

Thanks to Sara Windrem, who brought this article to my attention.