For decades, art in healthcare was treated as decoration — nice to have, but hardly essential. Now, a growing body of research is pushing it into a different category altogether: a measurable contributor to health, well-being, and even workforce retention. From hospital walls to staff well-being programs, arts engagement is increasingly being framed not as a luxury but as part of the care environment itself.

“We should all be not only indulging in the arts but actively prioritizing them in our day-to-day lives if we want to maximize our health and well-being,” Daisy Fancourt, PhD, professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London, told Medscape News Europe.

Why Art and Health Are Converging Now

Public attitudes appear to be ahead of how widely this idea is embedded into healthcare practice. According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 87% of Europeans — rising to 89% among younger people — believe that participation in cultural activities improves emotional and physical health. 

That view is increasingly supported by a growing body of research. 

A 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) scoping review of more than 3000 studies found that engagement with the arts can influence health and well-being across the lifespan. Recently, the WHO urged countries to strengthen cooperation between the health and culture sectors to promote social inclusion and cohesion.

An EU-commissioned report published in July this year, “Culture and Health: Time to Act,” found that arts engagement supports mental and physical health, contributes to disease prevention and management, and strengthens social inclusion — with downstream economic benefits. In the UK alone, the health-related value of arts engagement among working-age adults has been estimated at £18.6 billion annually, said Fancourt, who is also the author of the book Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health.

Over the past decade, epidemiological evidence — including large cohort studies — has shown that people who engage in culture and the arts tend to live healthier lives, added Nils Fietje, PhD, technical officer in the Behavioural and Cultural Insights Unit at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, speaking with Medscape News Europe. “They age better and, in some cases, have longer life expectancy.”

Art in Hospitals: More Than Aesthetics

For healthcare professionals, this growing alignment between public interest and research evidence has practical implications. Researchers and health systems are increasingly examining the care environment itself — particularly hospitals — as places where prevention, mental health, and workforce sustainability intersect.

A recent study found that visual art in hospitals can lower patients’ heart rates, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being. Staff reported similar benefits, including better focus, a stronger sense of belonging, and an increased ability to prioritize patient needs. Even visitors experienced improvements in well-being.

Historically, however, hospital design moved in the opposite direction. Christopher Bailey, BA, MLIS, arts and health lead at the WHO, told Medscape News Europe that hospitals stripped art from their walls in the early 20th century under the influence of Bauhaus modernism, which equated white, uncluttered spaces with cleanliness.

“There was no evidence to show that patient outcomes were better if visual stimuli were removed,” Bailey said. “But now we are putting them back, we have to provide evidence that it benefits patients.”

Addressing Burnout Through Creative Therapies

Beyond environmental design, art is also being studied as a therapeutic intervention for healthcare workers themselves. 

Matthew Pelowski, PhD, associate professor of psychology of cognitive and neuroaesthetics at the University of Vienna, told Medscape News Europe, that art tends to make environments more pleasant for everyone. “For healthcare professionals, visually engaging elements can provide a welcome distraction, making what is often a stressful environment feel more positive. Studies suggest that, in hospitals, when art is present, staff — not just patients — often feel better about the quality of care they provide.”

Marc Moss, MD, professor of medicine and pulmonary sciences and critical care at the University of Colorado Anschutz, has examined the impact of creative arts therapy on clinician burnout.

“We studied this in two randomized clinical trials,” Moss told Medscape News Europe. Compared with control groups, participants in creative arts interventions showed improvements in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and burnout. They were also less likely to report intentions to leave healthcare.

Notably, those benefits lasted. “I think it was partly that people were given skills they could incorporate into their lifestyle. When they encountered difficult situations, they were then able to use the skills they had learnt during the intervention, which led to the effects persisting.”

Does Art Need to Be In-Person?

The COVID-19 pandemic forced much of cultural life online, raising questions about whether digital engagement can deliver the same benefits as in-person experiences. Research published earlier this year suggests that, cognitively and emotionally, viewers respond similarly to art whether they encounter it in a museum or on a digital platform.

“I believe all art is beneficial,” Bailey said. “During the pandemic, we saw that singing together on Zoom had a positive effect. However, we also know that there is something special about in-person interaction. When you’re with a live group of performers and a live audience, your heartbeats start to synchronize. The mirror neurons begin to activate. It becomes neurologically and biochemically a shared experience.” 

Fietje agreed, emphasizing the social dimension. “A key active ingredient in much of the culture and health work is that people come together and stay connected, finding ways to talk about challenging topics they might not otherwise discuss in more medicalized settings,” he said.

What Comes Next for Europe’s Health Systems

Experts say the next challenge is implementation. Fietje suggested that hospitals should systematically assess successful models of arts integration and adapt them to their own contexts.

Fancourt sees the moment as a turning point. “Every health behavior we’re now familiar with has had what I call a ‘seatbelt moment’: a time when, after decades of wearying lobbying from scientists, we suddenly woke up and realized how important that behavior is to our health,” she said. “I believe that seatbelt moment for the arts is now.” 

Bailey argued that professionalization will be critical. Standardized training and certification for arts-and-health practitioners, he said, would help ensure quality, support funding, and give clinicians confidence that interventions are evidence-based and safe.

For Europe’s healthcare professionals, the message is increasingly clear: art is no longer just about aesthetics. It is emerging as a tool — one that intersects with prevention, care quality, and workforce sustainability at a time when all three are under strain.

Moss reported receiving research funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Fancourt, Fietje, Bailey, and Pelowski reported no relevant financial relationships. 

Luca Arfini is an Italian science journalist and communications specialist based in Amsterdam, with expertise in health, sustainability, and EU policies. https://www.creativetractus.org/