BLUF
Sadly, Australia has one of the highest rates of mental illness in the world. The statistics paint a bleak picture, but some people are showing that art can be part of the solution?Summary
This article by Jacqueline Howard, writing for ABC-Australia, makes the following points:
- One in four Australians will experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime, and at least one in 10 will experience depression.
- There are calls for the time engaged with the arts to be prescribable by Australian doctors.
- There is a large body of research into the effect the arts has on the human body and brain.
- An experimental program on ABC TV, called Space 22, follows seven Australians through different creative outlets such as photography, painting and singing to see what benefits art activities can provide people suffering from mental health issues.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
- What is a nervous breakdown and what is it like to experience? | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
- Mental health days are on the rise in the corporate world, but they're not a silver bullet for workplace stress | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
References from the Web:
- JUN 2020 Brain research shows the arts promote mental health—The Conversation
- AUG 2020 How the arts can improve mental health, especially during the pandemic—Bloomberg
- MAY 2022 5 Positive Effects of Art on Mental Health—Daily Art Magazine
