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NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW,

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGES (NIJLCL)

Volume 4 Issue 3 2024

https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJLCL/2024/4.3.5900 Page | 5

Evaluating the Impact of Arts Programs on Health

Outcomes Volume 4 Issue 1 2024
Kakungulu Samuel J.

Faculty of Education, Kampala International University, Uganda

ABSTRACT
This paper examines the role of arts programs in improving health outcomes across psychological,
physiological, and social dimensions. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature, theoretical
frameworks, and methodologies, we evaluate the diverse ways in which arts engagement positively
impacts well-being. While evidence demonstrates that arts-based interventions can enhance mental
health, reduce stress, and promote social cohesion, significant variations in findings indicate the need for a
more standardized evaluation approach. This review also highlights policy implications, suggesting the
integration of arts into public health strategies as a cost-effective, community-centered approach to
improving well-being. A critical perspective is maintained throughout, emphasizing both the potential
and limitations of arts programs in health promotion.
Keywords: Arts in health, Health outcomes, Arts-based interventions, Well-being, Public health.
INTRODUCTION
A lively dialogue exists at the intersection of arts and health. The arts are not confined to passive
enjoyment and cultural enrichment. Artistic engagement can also shape individual well-being across
psychological, physiological, and behavioral domains. Arts activities can elicit strong emotional
experiences. Spectatorship, collectivity, and contemplation all closely connect emotional responses to
artworks with health. Despite such deep-seated connections, it is only in recent decades that the arts have
been recognized as having a major contribution to health. Indeed, until the 20th century, assumptions of a
qualitative divide between the arts and the 'art of healing' were widespread, reflecting negative attitudes
towards craft, femininity, and mental illness [1, 2]. The shift in thinking that has led to the arts being
viewed as an underestimated resource to promote health, well-being, disease prevention, and self-
management has an interestingly broad spectrum. Academically, insights from the humanities are
progressively expanding epidemiological and clinical perspectives on health and illness. Politically, there
is an active role in promoting the evidence-based practice of the arts in public health. Likewise,
practitioners—although not fully turned to arts-based health interventions—are increasingly working in
more complex, interdisciplinary, and teamwork-based contexts. How is the value of this increasingly
widespread arts and health promotion to be evaluated? What, indeed, can we determine from crossing the
arts with the health sciences today? [3, 4].
Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding the Relationship Between Arts and Health
Our stance: Theoretical assumptions of the relationship between arts and health
This review takes a critical view of the processes and methodologies applied in the design and
implementation of health outcome evaluations from arts engagement. Offering assistance to broaden
our understanding of what can be plausibly understood and effectively evaluated, we begin with an
overview of the theoretical positions that guide our readings of this field. Recent theories have emerged at
the intersection of topics to suggest the psychological, physiological, and social basis for the relationship
between arts and health while also acknowledging the subjective, often ineffable, and individual processes
enveloped in such endeavors. Our mandate of addressing the health benefits of arts engagement
necessarily involves a longer view of the field, as our evaluative objectives respond in part to the
assumptions and phenomena presented in the undoubtedly diverse and immense literature that has
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©NIJLCL ISSN PRINT: 2992-6130
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accumulated during the near century of scholarly literature in medical humanities, psychological,
sociological, educational, public health, and history research. These numerous evaluation strategies and
measurement tools for the benefits of arts engagement are assumed and shaped by the theoretical, often
disciplinary, viewpoints offered [5, 6]. At this juncture, it is useful to summarize a variety of theoretical
literature from psychology, sociology, and public health that has contributed to the current
understanding of the possible contributions of engaging in the arts to personal health and community
well-being. These theories tend to echo and elaborate theories of visual and conceptual art production Page | 6
through a confluence of the visual and liberal arts movements, social psychology and sociology, public
health or population health theories, and extensive corridors where these disciplines converge, but
establish a groundwork for a psychotherapeutic framework that is defined by its heavily qualitative
methods and that has been absorbed, transected, obscured, and solidified in multiple myriad ways. As
such, the abundant literature in these convergent areas shapes a response to what we can expect the field,
theoretically and qualitatively, to offer [7, 8].
Methodologies for Evaluating the Impact of Arts Programs on Health Outcomes
Much of the research literature evaluates the effectiveness of programs aimed at using the arts for health
or mental health benefits. An extensive range of research methodologies is used to evaluate the effects of
arts programs on health. Broadly speaking, research designs can be grouped into qualitative, quantitative,
and mixed methods designs. Researchers who have conducted qualitative studies have used techniques
such as phenomenology, narrative analysis, and grounded theory. In contrast, research that employs
quantitative methods predominantly selects either correlational or quasi-experimental designs, including
case-control studies and non-equivalent pre- and post-test intervention designs. In the application of
these designs, researchers have variously employed a range of psychometric tests and biostatistics to
evaluate the health impact of arts participation. Adoption of a particular research method will both
influence and be influenced by the way the arts-health question is formulated, as well as the availability of
resources, practical considerations, and ethical parameters [7, 9]. Each research method has different
associated strengths and limitations when used to evaluate arts programs for health outcomes. These
include the difficulties of measuring creative and artistically subjective processes and changes in art form,
the complexities of observing the subtleties of social interaction within participatory arts and program
processes, the temporal and ethical difficulties of attempting to conduct controlled or longitudinal
experimental studies in real-world exogenous settings, and concerns surrounding the generalizability of
any research findings. This paper reviews the literature evaluating arts programs for health outcomes
that have been published in a range of disciplines. There is a strong multidisciplinary focus of this work,
including the fields of art and cultural studies, health, and education. Furthermore, a case study approach
is used to provide rich descriptions and evidence of impact in a range of good practice programs from the
art, health, and education sectors. Many of the evaluations illustrated in the following section are eclectic
in their use of research designs and methodologies, though for purposes of analysis, they have been
classified according to the dominant research tradition. Studies that have employed a mixed-methodology
perspective benefit from strong research design, affording depth and breadth. Moreover, valuable insights
are gained, with each method used to cross-check and illuminate the findings arrived at by the other. A
fresh wave of interest in the arts and health research area has arisen, as the number of governmental and
funding bodies willing to support such programs grows. This is underpinned by a growing belief that this
kind of work is deserving of funding like any other health intervention, based on having a solid research
base. This confluence of influences highlights the necessity for relatively rigorous evidence-based
principles to be adopted by researchers interested in the arts and health area. Central to making an
informed decision about which research methodology is employed is an understanding of the relative
strengths and limitations of those available. In the following subsection, we offer a brief overview of the
relative strengths and limitations of various methodologies [10, 11].
Key Findings from Existing Research Studies
This chapter provides a synthesis of evidence from existing research studies on the impacts of arts
engagement on health. Findings are presented in relation to:
i) demographic factors;
ii) types of arts involved;
iii) settings in which arts programs are implemented; and
iv) the nature of effects observed. Several caveats arise.
While most published studies report some positive effects of arts programs on various health outcomes,
results are not uniformly positive. There are inconsistencies in the findings across studies. There is
ongoing work among social scientists as to whether and how the observed effects may occur, and studies
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 Open Access
©NIJLCL ISSN PRINT: 2992-6130
Publications ONLINE ISSN: 2992-5800
share findings of the importance of changes at both the community level and individual levels. Much more
work is needed to tease these out and to understand fully how, when, and why the arts might be effective
in changing these outcomes among participants [12, 13]. Research to date has typically not been
designed to answer these important questions. Reviews critiqued some claims and the state of the field.
Some caution is necessary in appraising work published in this newly developing area: we know that
findings tend to be a bit more 'officially' publishable when they are positive, and in the field of social
science, statistically significant positive results are over-reported in media reports and subsequently Page | 7
informal research summaries. Nonetheless, the weight of quantitative and qualitative evidence reviewed
here shows that there is enough evidence to indicate that arts-based interventions can and do serve
important roles as 'therapies' or positive health interventions in several areas. However, we also need to
consider that not much work has already been done in some areas to reach some certainty that there is no
evidence of positive effects. The crucial question of understanding both whether and why arts engage in
health is worthy of some critical attention, and this is recommended as a priority. The art and health field
would also benefit from increased research and application by art therapists, before doing some high-
quality, definitive research that proves that art therapies work in some relevant ways. We also
recommend that these findings may be helpful in some policy-making decisions.
Implications For Policy and Practice
The findings highlight several ways in which arts and health studies can contribute to public health
strategies, help to inform policy development, and underpin the development of this field of inquiry. The
adoption of an arts program as a public health strategy can have a positive social impact by showing
respect and valuing community values, cultures, and traditions. They should be adopted in health services
that reflect holistic community philosophies towards service provision or as an ancillary strategy
supportable by research. A public health response should fund the arts as a cost-effective approach to
supporting vulnerable marginalized communities and community development [14, 15]. The findings can
also be used to give the arts a single focus for non-educational interventions. While education is
important, there appears to be a need for a more inclusive program that can include the non-education
sector. Arts programs are inexpensive when compared to other intervention strategies to address
psychosocial issues. Success through involvement in the arts can attract express funding from arts
agencies and the corporate sector. This will mean that arts programs neither appear to be duplicating
already available services nor will they target against current arts investment strategies. The results from
studies of the effectiveness of arts and health programs can be used to provide evidence to international
bodies on how the arts can improve health outcomes [16, 17]. It is recommended that the health and arts
focus at the Council for Social Development begins with an international colloquium on good research
methodologies, in this case, arts and health. Specific recommendations resulting from the colloquium were
that stakeholders need to develop proper evidence for other sectors in the health system because research
has shown that those involving the arts assist individual well-being and should support those who work
for social change in their work. Stakeholders need to be kept informed about the activities, including
research into arts in health. The arts and education should be drawing people alike. This contains
extensive information and bibliographies on each sector. Further research needs to be done to determine
the long-term impact of involving the arts in health interventions. Long-term outcomes of music, dance,
poetry, engaging with visual arts, and being creative will need to be utilized. Evaluation of the short-term
program is also required to present quality assurance. The future direction also included the research of
music therapy with children [18, 19].
CONCLUSION
The intersection of arts and health offers promising avenues for enhancing well-being, particularly
through interventions that address mental health, stress reduction, and social connectedness. While
existing research supports the beneficial impacts of arts engagement on various health outcomes,
inconsistencies across studies reveal the need for more rigorous and standardized evaluation methods.
Arts programs can be a valuable, cost-effective tool for public health strategies, particularly in
marginalized communities where traditional health interventions may fall short. However, further
research is needed to better understand the mechanisms through which arts influence health and to
establish clear guidelines for their implementation and evaluation in diverse settings. The findings
underscore the potential of the arts to act as a catalyst for personal and community well-being, shaping
future policy and practice in public health.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original work is properly cited
 Open Access
©NIJLCL ISSN PRINT: 2992-6130
Publications ONLINE ISSN: 2992-5800
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 Open Access
©NIJLCL ISSN PRINT: 2992-6130
Publications ONLINE ISSN: 2992-5800

CITE AS: Kakungulu Samuel J. (2024). Evaluating the Impact of Arts

Programs on Health Outcomes. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL OF LAW, COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGES,
4(3):5-9. https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJLCL/2024/4.3.5900
Page | 9

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original work is properly cited