Daisy Fancourt

Saoirse Finn

Over the past two decades, there has been a major increase in research into the effects of the arts on health and well-being, alongside developments in practice and policy activities in different countries across the WHO European Region and further afield. This report synthesizes the global evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being, with a specific focus on the WHO European Region. Results from over 3000 studies identified a major role for the arts in the prevention of ill health, promotion of health, and management and treatment of illness across the lifespan. The reviewed evidence included study designs such as uncontrolled pilot studies, case studies, small-scale cross-sectional surveys, nationally representative longitudinal cohort studies, community-wide ethnographies and randomized controlled trials from diverse disciplines. The beneficial impact of the arts could be furthered through acknowledging and acting on the growing evidence base; promoting arts engagement at the individual, local and national levels; and supporting cross-sectoral collaboration.

What Is the Evidence on the Role of the Arts in Improving Health and Well-Being

Over the past few decades, the use of the arts in health has burgeoned. What, for many centuries, was seen as a fringe activity is now being recognised as a field that has enormous potential for impacting positively on both individuals and societies. However, despite this surge in interest and activity, there is still limited support available for people working in the field. Although the number of practical training courses for artists is growing and more universities are establishing research groups, most training activity occurs in either practice or research; there are relatively few opportunities to gain parallel experience in both. Arts in Health: Designing and Researching Interventions provides a complete overview of how to go about undertaking research and practice in the field of arts in health. It starts by exploring the context for arts in health interventions, including the history of the use of arts in health and the theoretical and political developments that have laid the foundations for its flourishing. It also considers what 'arts in health' encompasses and the range of disciplines involved. Part II examines how to design an arts in health intervention, develop partnerships and find funding and considers the sensitivities around working in healthcare. Part III considers the value of research for the field of arts in health and how to design and undertake a research project. Finally, part IV provides a fact file of arts in health research and practice, showing how the arts can be applied and the benefits they can bring across a range of medical disciplines. The book will be valuable for researchers, practitioners, healthcare professionals and those interested in learning more about the field.

Designing and Researching Interventions

Arts in Health

Annabel J. Cohen

Rachel Heydon

The Routledge Companion to Interdisciplinary Studies in Singing, Volume III: Wellbeing explores the connections between singing and health, promoting the power of singing--in public policy and in practice--in confronting health challenges across the lifespan. These chapters shape an interdisciplinary research agenda that advances singing's theoretical, empirical, and applied contributions, providing methodologies that reflect individual and cultural diversities. Contributors assess the current state of knowledge and present opportunities for discovery in three parts: Singing and Health Singing and Cultural Understanding Singing and Intergenerational Understanding In 2009, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funded a seven-year major collaborative research initiative known as Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing (AIRS). Together, global researchers from a broad range of disciplines addressed three challenging questions: How does singing develop in every human being? How should singing be taught and used to teach? How does singing impact wellbeing? Across three volumes, The Routledge Companion to Interdisciplinary Studies in Singing consolidates the findings of each of these three questions, defining the current state of theory and research in the field. Volume III: Wellbeing focuses on this third question and the health benefits of singing, singing praises for its effects on wellbeing.

Daisy Fancourt

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