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.

“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

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

The Eyewriter from Evan Roth on Vimeo.