Can art cure diseases? Maybe not cure, but it can help in certain treatments and therapies. At least that's what they say canadian doctors, who prescribe museum visits to treat various physical and mental illnesses.
More than one hundred doctors of the French-speaking Association of Canadian Physicians are already participating in a pilot program in which They prescribe museum visits to their patients.
Each doctor can prescribe 50 free passes to visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Each pass allows free entry for two adults and two minors. The idea is that the patient is accompanied by his family or friends, to reinforce the effect of the therapy.
What benefits does art bring to the treatment of diseases?
It already exists studies who detected evidence that Viewing artwork has positive health effects in treating illnesses such as depression, anxiety, low mood, low self-esteem, and trauma..
“By offering free entry to museums, a place to live a relaxing and revitalizing experience, a moment of respite, in the company of your loved ones, it is an opportunity to strengthen ties and facilitate the patient's recovery.“, specifies the press release from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which offered to participate in the experiment.
So far, around 100 Canadian doctors have signed up to support this pilot project.
In the USA, many hospitals are beginning to include an art room in the establishment as part of therapies intended to treat certain illnesses.
In Scotland there is a pilot program where doctors prescribe to patients “visit nature“. Patients must sign up for organized excursions, or visit certain places indicated by doctors on their own.
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It is true that many doctors have been advising this type of activity for a long time, but on this occasion we are not talking about advice, but rather about medical prescriptions, which the patient must obliged to accomplish.
Of course, art alone does not cure diseases, which is why these museum visits are accompanied by medical treatments with medications.
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