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Start making sense: Art informing health psychology

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Abstract

Growing evidence suggests that the arts may be useful in health care and in the training of health care professionals. Four art genres - novels, films, paintings and music - are examined for their potential contribution to enhancing patient health and/or making better health care providers. Based on a narrative literature review, we examine the effects of passive (e.g. reading, watching, viewing and listening) and active (e.g. writing, producing, painting and performing) exposure to the four art genres, by both patients and health care providers. Overall, an emerging body of empirical evidence indicates positive effects on psychological and physiological outcome measures in patients and some benefits to medical training. Expressive writing/emotional disclosure, psychoneuroimmunology, Theory of Mind and the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation are considered as possible theoretical frameworks to help incorporate art genres as sources of inspiration for the further development of health psychology research and clinical applications.

Acceptance Date Jan 26, 2018
Publication Date Mar 10, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Health Psychology Open
Print ISSN 2055-1029
Publisher SAGE Publications
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102918760042
Keywords art, films, music, narrative health psychology, narrative review, novels, paintings
Publisher URL https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2055102918760042

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