Doctors May Prescribe Art, Dance, Singing

04/30/2019

Doctors May Prescribe Art, Dance, Singing

Nothing grows well without space and air.
Patricia Monaghan

A British campaign is expected to launch by 2023 that will allow doctors to prescribe therapeutic art, dance or singing lessons for the treatment of ailments such as dementia, a strategy the U.K government calls “social prescribing” to help build more resilience and happiness at the end of life. In an article in Smithsonian magazine, author Meilan Solly quotes British Health Secretary Matt Hancock as saying, “We’ve been fostering a culture that’s popping pills and Prozac, when what we should be doing is more prevention and perspiration…Social prescribing can help us combat over-medicalising people.”

And, in an article in Exchange magazine, “Making Happy Happen: Building Resilience in Children,” author Rachel Robertson writes about ways early childhood educators can help children develop tools from the beginning of life that will nurture happiness. “Purposefully developing a child’s naturally resilient tendencies will give him the essential life skills he needs to cope with challenges, adopt a positive perspective, and develop self-confidence and self-worth – all essential ingredients for happiness.”

Source: “British Doctors May Soon Prescribe Art, Music, Dance, Singing Lessons,” by Meilan Solly, Smithsonian.com, November 8, 2018

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