Healthier together. How arts on prescription can promote psychosocial wellbeing: a qualitative study

Mental health problems are an increasing challenge for primary healthcare. It puts strain on the healthcare professionals with limited time and resources. In several countries, healthcare professionals can refer patients with mental health issues to structured arts programmes, namely Arts on Prescription (AoP). This study explores the qualitative findings from a 3-year study on Arts on Prescription.

Primary healthcare patients were recruited to participated in a 10-week group-based arts programme, twice a week for 2 h (22 sessions over 10 weeks, comprising a mixture of arts and cultural activities facilitated by arts professionals) referred from 18 different primary healthcare centres. Twenty-eight participants volunteered to be interviewed using a semi-structured one-to-one approach. The transcribed interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis.

Three themes were identified as Social community & Connectedness, Self-efficacy and Routine & Structure. Through the identified themes positive effects of psychosocial wellbeing is described as reported by the participants connecting to their experiences of participating in the Arts on Prescription programme including finding common grounds, feeling healthier and more human, connecting with inner resources, and establishing new routines.

The findings highlight the potential of Arts on Prescription programmes to promote holistic psychosocial wellbeing, and to facilitate personal growth through community engagement and structured arts activities with salutogenic approaches.