Arts on prescription: observed changes in anxiety, depression, and well-being across referral cycles

A longitudinal observational study was conducted in the south-west of the UK to evaluate the effects of the arts-on-prescription (AoP) intervention on mental health and wellbeing in a cohort of patients who participated in two eight-week cycles of AoP. Results showed significant improvements in anxiety, depression and wellbeing after the intervention, both in the overall sample and in the subsample of participants with multimorbidity. Improvements were observed in both the initial and subsequent cycles of the intervention, suggesting that the positive effects can be maintained over time. This research underlines the importance of including AoP interventions in the provision of social prescribing in primary healthcare.