Psychological and Biological Improvements in Engagement with Creative Arts

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Stuckey, H. L., & Nobel, J. (2010). The connection between art, healing, and public health: A review of current literature. American journal of public health, 100(2), 254-263.
This journal article contextualizes the need to assess psychological and biological improvements in engagement with creative arts. Creative art therapies refer to the holistic use of art modalities and creative processes such as music, visual arts, expressive writing, and movement-based creative expression to foster health.” Four primary therapies emerged: music engagement, visual arts therapy, movement-based creative expression, and expressive writing. In these forms of expression, arts modalities and creative processes are used during intentional interventions to foster health.” Stuckey and Nobel, 2010, posit that for decades creative art has been used as a healing process specifically for acute mental issues such as depression.” Art and health have been at the center of human interest from the beginning of recorded history.” However, there are is no qualitative and quantitative data to show the benefits of this oriental healing technique to reduce the diverse complexities of health.” Legitimate research questions include whether certain art-based therapies are more or less effective than others, whether the impact of therapy can be tied to other important variables and preconditions, and whether health benefits are sustained or short term. These issues deserve vigorous continued attention.” With key focus on the intricacies of the art regarding healing such as music, depressed patients reduce anxiety which regulates overall mental and physical wellness. “In particular, music therapy has been shown to decrease anxiety.35–37 The pleasure shared by participants in the healing process through a music therapy program can help to restore emotional balance as well.”
Drawing insights from existing peer-reviewed journals on this topic illustrates the myriad potential of creative arts therapies. “The goals of our review, primarily covering the period 1995 through 2007, were to assess the state of peer-reviewed research on arts and healing, to provide a brief summary of both qualitative and quantitative research methods and results, and to describe the principal categories of creative expression that have emerged as effective means of enhancing health and wellness.&rdqu...