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Lancet global series thumb

Jameel Arts & Health Lab - Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts

Lead Researchers

N Sajnani, N Fietje

Status

In progress

Lead institutions

NYU Steinhardt, WHO Europe

Type

Global series

Publications

Commentary

The Jameel Arts & Health Lab – Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts

Download (PDF - 542 KB)

The Lab in collaboration with WHO has convened a landmark Lancet Global Series in response to the accelerating interest in the demonstrated benefits of the arts in individual and population health, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Scope

Bringing together 56 leading researchers and artists from institutions around the world, this series will present new and existing research, and offer recommendations for the integration of the arts into health-promotion programmes, and for the treatment and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are responsible for 74% of premature deaths worldwide, and a leading cause of disability. 

The series builds on recommendations from the foundational  2019 WHO report containing  evidence for the role of the arts in improving health and wellbeing. It also draws on a subsequent 2023 WHO report articulating that arts interventions are multi-modal, non-invasive, low-risk, and cost-effective ways to aid in the prevention and management of NCDs, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic illness, neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and mental health. 

This unprecedented series will advance knowledge for improving global policy that seeks to integrate the arts into clinical and public health practices. This may include education and training, regulation to enable equitable access to arts engagement and creative arts therapists, and social prescribing – a way to connect people to a range of non-clinical services (such as arts and cultural programmes) to improve their health and wellbeing. The series is scheduled to be submitted in July 2024 with an anticipated publication date of April 2025, pending review.    

Deliverables and Insights

Pending peer review, the series will include the following:

  • A conceptual framework and introduction to the relationship between general and targeted arts engagement on health outcomes
  • A systematic review of primary research into the role of the arts in health promotion and prevention of NCDs
  • An umbrella review and meta-analysis of evidence about arts-based interventions in the treatment and management of NCDs 
  • An epidemiological study using existing nationally representative data from eight counties to explore predictors of arts engagement for health 
  • A curated photo-essay to illustrate how the arts have been used in health promotion and to support recovery, with an emphasis on the diversity of practices in this field

Project team

Led by Dr Nisha Sajnani (JAHL, NYU Steinhardt) and Dr Nils Fietje (JAHL, WHO Europe), the project team consists of researchers and artists from Australia, Belgium, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malawi, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Scotland, Singapore, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the US, and the UK.

The Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts was launched on 20 September 2023 at a special WHO75 Wellbeing Concert at Carnegie Hall, as part of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s United Nations General Assembly Healing Arts Week. Support for this project is provided by Community Jameel.

Categories

Research Team

Nisha Headshot Street

Nisha Sajnani, PhD

Lead Researcher, NYU Steinhardt

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Nils Fietje, PhD

Lead Researcher, WHO Europe

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Jill Sonke, PhD

Paper Lead, University of Florida

Michael Tan Colour Michael Tan

Michael Tan Koon Boon, PhD

Paper Lead, Sheffield Hallam University

Martina 2023 Martina de Witte

Martina deWitte PhD

Paper Lead, University of Melbourne

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Joke Bradt, PhD

Paper Lead, Drexel University

Karen Mak R11 Karen

Karen (Hei Wan) Mak, PhD

Paper Lead, University College London

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Stephen Stapleton

Photo Essay Lead, CULTURUNNERS

Kunle Adewale

Kunle Adewale

Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship

Dr Akinsete June 2021 Annette Akinsete

Annette Akinsete, MD

Lagos University Teaching Hospital

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Tessa Brinza, MA

New York University

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David Cotterrell

Sheffield Hallam University

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Daisy Fancourt, PhD

University College London

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Andrew Feigin, MD

New York University

Rainbow Tin Hung Ho

Rainbow Ho, PhD

The University of Hong Kong

Headshot Agustin Ibanez

Agustin Ibanez, PhD

Universidad Adolfo Ibañez

BRIANLAWLOR HEADSHOT

Brian Lawlor, MD

Trinity College, Dublin

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Hod Orbiki, PhD

University of Haifa

Portrait Pier Luigi Sacco

Pierluigi Sacco, PhD

University of Chieti-Pescara

Picture1 Shekhar Seshadri

Shekhar Seshadri, MD

National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore

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Ameer Shaheed, PhD

Consultant/World Health Organisation

EDWARDVESSEL HEADSHOT

Edward Vessel, PhD

City College of New York

Tasha Golden Headshot Tasha Golden

Tasha Golden, PhD

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Morgan Daniel Jane Jane Morgan Daniel

Jane Morgan-Daniel, MLIS, AHIP

University of Florida

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Sanmi Oduntan, MBBS

University of Lagos, Nigeria

VIRGINIAPESATA HEADSHOPT

Virgina Pesata, DNP

University of Florida

JBL Headshot Jenny Baxley Lee

Jenny Baxley Lee, PhD

University of Florida

PHOTO 2023 01 23 09 19 31 Sharifa Abdulla

Sharifa Abdulla, PhD

University of Malawi, University of Glasgow

Michael Pratt UCSD 2017 Michael Pratt

Michael Pratt, MD

UC San Diego

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Jaime Miranda MD

University of Sydney

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Kremlin Wickramasinghe, PhD

WHO Europe

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Seher Akram, MPH

Columbia University

Amit Lampit photo Amit Lampit

Amit Lampit, PhD

University of Melbourne

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Supritha Aithal, PhD

Edge Hill University

Libby profile pic Libby Flynn

Libby Flynn, PhD

University of Melbourne

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Vicky Karkou, PhD

Edge Hill University

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Sabine Koch, PhD

Alanus University, Germany

Headshot Marygrace Berberian

Marygrace Berberian, PhD

New York University

Felicity Baker headshot

Felicity Baker, PhD

University of Melbourne

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Taiji Noguchi, PhD

University College London

Jess headshot Jessica Bone

Jessica K Bone, PhD

University College London

FERDIBOTHA HEADSHOT

Ferdi Botha, PhD

The University of Melbourne

MARLEEBOWER HEADSHOT

Marlee Bower, PhD

The University of Sydney

Image 5 Jacques Wels

Jacques Wels, PhD

University College London, Université libre de Bruxelles

Qian Gao Bella Gao

Qian Gao, PhD

University College London

Katsunori Kondo 野口泰司

Katsunori Kondo, PhD

Chiba University

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Tami Saito

University College London

Calum smith

Calum Smith

University of Oxford

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Rachel Marshall

University College London

RINASO HEADSHOT

Rina So, PhD

University College London

EMMAWALKER UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Emma Walker, PhD

University College London

Yazmany Arboleda The Peoples Artist for New York City

Yazmany Arboleda

The People's Creative Institute

NATHALIEBONDIL HEADSHOT

Nathalie Bondil

Institut du Monde Arabe

JAHNAVI PHALKEY HEADSHOT

Jahnavi Phalkey

Science Gallery Bengaluru

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Solkem N'Gangbet

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Dominic Campbell

Dominic Campbell

Creative Aging International

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Bogdan Chiva Giurca, MD

University College London