How art is good for body and soul
How did you come up with the idea of combining art and medicine in everyday clinical practice in paediatric and adolescent psychiatry?
During my training in adult psychiatry, I was confronted with many difficult life and illness stories. As a young doctor, these were a great burden for me and I started to paint the stories from my mind. That was extremely helpful and laid the foundation for my reflections. I then also began to work with my patients in the paediatric and adolescent psychiatry department at Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg using artistic media such as interactive drawings, texts and pictures.
Is there also a measurable effect on the physical level?
On a subjective level, many people realise that art can relax and stimulate and that creative activity leads to increased alertness and concentration. On an objective level, changes can be detected in the brain waves. Various artistic activities strengthen the immune system and - as we have also been able to show in our own studies - a reduction in cortisol can be observed. Parkinson's patients can improve their speech and gross motor skills through singing and dancing, and choral singing leads to a slight increase in lung function in COPD patients.
Cosmos Child Lecture
You can find out more about this topic in the «Kosmos Kind» lecture «Art is a doctor - art as an empowerment strategy for children and young people» by Prof. Dr Leonhard Thun-Hohenstein on 28 November 2023, 6.30 pm, at the foundation. For the child. Giedion Risch, Falkenstrasse 26, Zurich.
Tickets at: www.fuerdaskind.ch/vortragszyklus
Fritz+Fränzi subscribers receive a 50 per cent discount with the promo code kosmoskind-23.
Can art also help to increase children's resilience?
Yes, absolutely! I am convinced that the intensive experience of self-efficacy through painting, singing and dancing strengthens the resilience of children and young people. So art also has a preventative effect!
