Culture and health
Cultural policy is based on the national cultural policy objectives. The starting point is the intrinsic value and role of culture in society. At the same time, culture and art encompass many of the qualities we associate with a good society, such as freedom of expression, creativity, education, humanism and openness. Art can also help illustrate examples of ingrained opinions and thought patterns. A rich cultural life creates, preserves and furthers invaluable qualities in society. On the other hand, art and culture are often served by or dependent on cooperation with other social sectors.
Culture has the potential to supplement and further develop activities that lie beyond the traditional cultural sphere. Research has shown a positive correlation between participation in cultural activities and better health. On the whole, those who often go to the cinema, theatre and museums are in better health than the general population. On the instructions of the Government, the Swedish National Institute of Public Health prepared the report Kultur för hälsa. En exempelsamling från forskning och praktik (2005:23) (Culture for health. Samples from research and experience). The report states that cultural experiences not only have an intrinsic value, they are also important to peoples well-being and health.
Broad cooperation
The overall national objective of public health policy is to create conditions in society so that the entire population can enjoy good health on the same terms. Measures that link several policy areas are often able to contribute to improved health. Broad development efforts are taking place in municipalities, regions and county councils on how art and culture can supplement traditional methods, particularly in health care and social services, and within public health. These can deal with such matters as dance as part of the healing process for young people with anorexia, dance and music as a means of communication in care of people suffering from dementia, cultural experiences as a form of pain relief, or art and culture as activities for creating meaning in elderly care. An interdisciplinary centre for research and application of research results in the area of culture and health has been established at the University of Gothenburg.
To spread knowledge about and strengthen developments within the national efforts on culture and health now in progress, the Swedish Arts Council has been tasked with developing its outreach information. This means making new working methods, further education and good examples available, particularly in health care and elderly care.
Creative Schools
Peoples living habits and patterns are set when they are still children. The Creative Schools initiative, which covers all school years and some SEK 150 million, gives all children and young people the opportunity to take part in cultural life and develop their cultural and artistic means of expression. The initiative also helps fulfil education policy objectives through better fulfilment of objectives in school in accordance with the school curriculum. But even from a public health perspective, Creative Schools also has a positive impact on childrens and young peoples health.
Culture by prescription
In 2009, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs began working together to carry out pilot schemes with culture as a tool in the work to prevent and shorten sickness absence, called Culture by prescription (Kultur på recept). The pilot schemes were carried out by Region Skåne and Västerbotten County Council, and show how cultural activities can be a resource in work to rehabilitate people on sick leave.
Culture for the elderly
In 2011, the Swedish Arts Council was tasked with distributing special funds to promote the participation of elderly people in cultural life, both through cultural experiences and their own creativity together with others.
County councils, municipalities and private health care and social services providers can receive funding to implement measures that promote structured and long-term efforts in the area. Some SEK 30 million have been allocated to this initiative.
The measures are to build upon projects dealing with cultural development efforts that have already been implemented or are in progress within medical care or social services, both in practical terms and in terms of policy. An evaluation will be made of what, in this context, are larger projects to contribute to increasing sustainable knowledge regarding models and model development on how cultural measures can strengthen the health of elderly people. The outcome will be compiled in a report to be distributed to relevant persons in both the health care and social services sectors and in cultural life.
