Getting your RDA (recommended dose of art) can transform wellbeing – study

Visiting a museum or art gallery every month for a “recommended dose of art (RDA)” can transform wellbeing, according to a report.

At least 60 minutes per month inside an art gallery or museum could help cut depression, lower stress and improve health, according to the evidence-backed study from the Art Fund charity.

Daisy Fancourt, professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London (UCL), who wrote the foreword to the report and is author of Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health, said adopting a monthly habit can make a difference.

She said: “Regular engagement and meaningful encounters with art are now recognised as an important contributor to our health and wellbeing, and the evidence suggests they should be viewed as health-promoting behaviours, alongside having a balanced diet, regular exercise and spending time outdoors.

“Guidelines like eating our five-a-day of fruit and vegetables and getting our 10,000 steps have proven effective in helping us to prioritise other health-promoting behaviours in our busy lives.

“Adding regular arts engagement to this list could be a simple and joyful way of investing further in our health and wellbeing.”

Evidence in the report shows how a 2019 study on 2,148 adults found a 32% lower risk of depression from going to museums, theatre and cinema every few months.

This rose to a 48% lower risk for people who attended once a month or more, according to the data, taken from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Another study published this year in the journal, Brain, Behaviour and Immunity, found “evidence that authentic art viewing engages biological processes linked to stress reduction and immune modulation”.

It said the shifts occur in “autonomic, endocrine, and inflammatory systems” and “offer a plausible, psychobiological mechanism through which cultural engagement may support health”.

A further study found community cultural engagement (such as visiting museums, galleries or the theatre) was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.

Art also has an impact on loneliness, according to the report, with 82% of people in one study saying the arts make them feel socially connected, while older adults who go to museums, galleries or concerts have 32% lower odds of reporting loneliness 10 years later.

Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund, which is the charity for museums and galleries, said: “We often think of museums and galleries as places to visit as an occasional treat, but evidence shows they are untapped resources that can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle.

“With hundreds of museums across the UK offering free entry to their collections, everyone can get their recommended dose of art without spending a penny.

“And the National Art Pass provides free and discounted entry to hundreds more museums, making regular visits and special exhibitions more affordable.”