Promoting resilience through art and culture

There is scientific evidence that art and culture contribute to improving people's emotional well-being and mental health . A growing number of studies confirm and acknowledge the impact of arts and culture as catalysts or facilitators of improvement in areas of health such as mental health.

In fact, following the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the impact of physical and social activity on people's emotional well-being and its social prescription is recognized and already forms part of the key objectives of our health system. These recommendations are explicitly extended by the organization itself to the use and recommendation of the arts and artistic activities.

If you work in the fields of education, culture, or leisure, this content may be useful for you to learn more about how artistic and cultural activities can be a transformative element for emotional health , especially in adolescents and young people.

Improving the emotional well-being and mental health of young people

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that subjective well-being, self-efficacy, competence, and self-realization of intellectual and emotional capacities, among others, are signs of emotional well-being .

Dr. María de los Ángeles Pazkowski, a professor at Ramón Llull University specializing in education, along with the Imagina Theater Group Association and the Gloria Soler Foundation, contribute their expertise in promoting the emotional well-being of young people through art to the SOM Mental Health 360º interactive presentation, "Emotional Well-being in the Classroom Through Art ." Professor Pazkowski states that art can help address emotions, express difficulties, and confront adversity.

Art, besides being a necessary tool, is a transformative and enriching one in the context of mental health. Culture becomes the space where human experience, and profound pain, can be expressed.

Neuropsychiatrist Boris Cyrulnik, a leading figure in the concept of resilience —the capacity of individuals to adapt to life's challenges, maintain psychological equilibrium during difficult times, and overcome adverse situations or deeply painful events—refers to culture as a third way because it provides a space to explain what cannot be shared. For this reason, art becomes a space for human overcoming adversity and a place of resilience. In Cyrulnik's words, "Poetry, theater, or drawing become an act of liberation because they allow people to share what happened to them with others, while still controlling their emotions."

The theater group points out that engaging in artistic activities helps to channel and release emotional distress , alleviate the tension that anxiety or depression can produce, and create "time out" periods in which young people's attention gradually regains its ability to focus on the assigned task and, even if only briefly, shift away from any negative self-perception they may have of their condition. Furthermore, when these artistic activities are shared, they offer a particularly relevant framework for facilitating positive social interaction , acknowledging distress, and providing mutual learning and support during the recovery process.

Playing with art, with artistic techniques in general, provides constant multidimensional training and a continuous opportunity to develop personal and interpersonal skills that affect emotional well-being and can foster resilience . It improves communication skills and the ability to express what we feel and think, something that will be fundamental for preventing or addressing emotional distress. Art offers us particularly expressive languages that open alternative channels of communication in an almost innate way.

Similarly, working with artistic formats provides us with tools to integrate and value information from our environment, giving it context and meaning in relation to different personal dimensions, and creating spaces for particularly valuable active listening. This kind of listening can undoubtedly be especially important in situations of emotional distress .

Benefits in emotional well-being and the promotion of resilience

The Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67, "What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review," published by the WHO, compiles the potential health and emotional well-being benefits of participating in cultural and artistic activities that have scientific evidence supporting them, including:

• To promote the development of self-esteem, self-acceptance and confidence, which help to develop resilience.
• Promoting autonomy in children and adolescents.
• Reducing the risk of developing mental health problems in adolescence such as depression.
• To help manage and reduce stress and anxiety.
• Improving the perception of individual and social health and well-being: positive emotions, life satisfaction and the feeling of happiness, autonomy and having a purpose.
• The role of music in improving mood has been demonstrated. It contributes to positive emotional states that enhance happiness and optimism.
• They improve social bonds, interpersonal relationships, and group identity. They help reduce loneliness and social isolation.
• To encourage more altruistic behavior and empathy. In educational settings, the arts promote prosocial behavior among students.
• To help build social cohesion and develop cognitive, emotional, and social skills that contribute to problem-solving, thereby fostering more cooperative relationships. Several projects have used the arts in conflict mediation.
• Reducing stigma and promoting a positive image of mental health.