Critical perspectives on Arts on Prescription

Area of Science:

• Arts and health research
• Social prescribing
• Mental wellbeing interventions

Background:

• Growing evidence supports arts engagement for health and wellbeing.
• Arts on Prescription (AoP) is a social intervention for mental health issues.
• Limited research addresses the negative aspects and ethical considerations of AoP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review problematic issues within social prescriptions and AoP programs.
• To identify failures, negative participant experiences, and ethical gaps in arts and health initiatives.
• To highlight systemic issues within healthcare integration of AoP.

Main Methods:

• Critical review of existing literature on arts and health projects and social prescribing.
• Analysis of reported failures, participant experiences, and ethical guidelines.
• Examination of healthcare system awareness and integration challenges.

Main Results:

• Identified failures in arts and health projects and negative participant experiences.
• Noted absence of ethical guidelines and lack of healthcare system knowledge.
• Highlighted issues of inappropriate referrals, disregard for preferences, and poor communication.
• Unclear health responsibility for AoP participants.

Conclusions:

• AoP requires addressing identified problems to safeguard participants.
• Effective integration of AoP into healthcare necessitates improved ethical frameworks and systemic awareness.
• Further research is needed to resolve ambiguities in health responsibility and program implementation.