The Impact of Arts and Cultural Engagement on Population Health

The report, authored by a working group led by the University College of London, summarises the results of a series of longitudinal studies conducted between 2017 and 2022, published in high-impact journals, in which the relationship between arts and cultural engagement and health and wellbeing outcomes was examined. The activities and health of a very large sample over the life course were monitored using cohort studies in the UK and US.
The research, conducted by the Social Biobehavioural Research Group at UCl-University College London, opened up new avenues for development by presenting evidence on the correlation between cultural participation and creative expression and the link with people's longevity and their quality of life at different stages of the life cycle, including:
-more positive social and health behaviour in children and young people,
-better mental health in adulthood,
-lower risks of depression and dementia in old age,
-lower levels of chronic pain and frailty and even longer life.