Going to the museum can be a therapeutic exercise.

The concept may come as a bit of a surprise, but it’s one that’s gaining traction. According to a recent US study, such cultural therapy can have many health benefits, including relief from chronic pain and mental suffering.

Millions of people visit museums every year. While many go to museums to learn, these visits can also improve their physical condition and mental well-being.

This was discovered by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in their study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology. Katherine Cotter and James Pawelski have compiled and reviewed over 100 scientific publications and reports on the multiple benefits of culture on our health. They found that contact with the artwork significantly reduced anxiety and stress. Recent studies have shown that visiting an art museum has a measurable impact on the secretion of hormones responsible for our well-being such as cortisol and serotonin.

Prescribed visits to the museum

And these are not the only therapeutic virtues of art. “Museotherapy” or “museotherapy” has also been shown to help prevent and treat the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. A team of Australian and South African researchers has found that cultural or artistic therapy can help combat depression in people with dementia, while improving their cognitive functions.

With this in mind, the association Médecins francophones du Canada has allowed its members to send patients suffering from depression, diabetes or chronic diseases to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, free of charge. This one-year pilot project, launched in November 2018, has since spawned similar initiatives in Switzerland and France.

One thing is certain, going to a museum has a positive impact on our mood and mental well-being. But the benefits of these cultural visits go beyond that. Katherine Cotter and James Pawelski have also observed that museums play a role in social cohesion.

People who visit regularly tend to feel less alone. They are also more likely to ask questions about societal issues, “suggesting that the experience of visiting (a museum) encourages different forms of reflection and thought processes,” the researchers conclude in their study. -AFP