ΕΜΣΤ participates with two art psychotherapy groups for mental health patients in the pilot action SUB.2.1 “Cultural Prescription as Supplementary Treatment in Mental Health” of the Ministry of Culture.
The project is implemented within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Fund, “Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU” National Recovery and Resilience Plan “GREECE 2.0” PRIORITY AXIS 4.6 Modernization and improvement of the resilience of the main sectors of the country’s economy “Culture and Wellness: Art as prescription therapy (“art on prescription”), promoting social cohesion and exploiting the “silver economy”.
A recent report by the World Health Organization, which analyzes the results of 900 studies worldwide, reaches the basic conclusion that art activities work therapeutically on physical and mental health. The beneficial effect of the arts on people suffering from mental illnesses, addictions and chronic diseases is not limited to an individual level, but also extends to a social level, while, as pointed out in the WHO report it is also cost-effective compared to classical biomedical treatments. Several countries are already adopting prescription systems, which supplement or strengthen the treatment protocols of people suffering from mental health and other illnesses.
In this context, in Greece the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Health signed in September 2021 a Memorandum of Cooperation for the design and implementation of an innovative Cultural Prescription program. With this program, initiatives are adopted that include the arts and culture in preventive and therapeutic treatment to promote the mental health and well-being of citizens, recognizing the beneficial role of contemporary artistic creation in the health and well-being of individuals. At the same time, contemporary culture institutions are encouraged to integrate into their services appropriate programs that serve this dimension of culture.
The implementation of the Cultural Prescription program presupposes the conduct of a research project for the design, implementation and evaluation of the individual actions within the framework of the overall program, in order to achieve the best result. Additionally, the research team will develop appropriate tools for monitoring and evaluating the action framework. To this end, the contracting parties cooperate in a mutually complementary manner for the implementation of the program within the framework of the common public purpose of the creation, planning and implementation of the Cultural Prescription program.
The object of this action is the derivation of a Research Project aiming to create the organizational framework for the inclusion of Cultural Prescription as a complementary treatment for people facing mental health problems or psychological problems from chronic diseases, the design and pilot implementation of the program, the study on the effects of patient contact with art and culture, the process and ways of participation of patients and cultural institutions, and the supervision and evaluation of the program in order to improve it. It will also develop the appropriate tools so that the action can be integrated into the electronic platform of immaterial prescription of IDIKA S.A.
The coordination of the groups is realized by Katerina Nasia Ramadani, Psychologist & Art Psychotherapist and Elisabeth Ioannides, EMΣΤ Education Curator & Art Psychotherapist.
GREECE 2.0
The project is implemented within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Fund, “Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU” National Recovery and Resilience Plan “GREECE 2.0” PRIORITY AXIS 4.6 Modernization and improvement of the resilience of the main sectors of the country’s economy “Culture and Wellness: Art as prescription therapy (“art on prescription”), promoting social cohesion and exploiting the “silver economy”.
