Antiques Roadshow expert: Pictures can reduce stress and help cognitive power
Not only do experts believe that people recover more quickly when surrounded by art but studies have also found thoughtfully placed artwork can ease anxiety, stress and depression in both patients and staff.
They can even reduce the need for painkillers. In a study of critical care patients, for example, those who participated in guided imagery or had a picture of a landscape on their wall, were found to have a decreased need for pain medication and left the hospital earlier.
“Research shows art is good for your stress levels, it reduces cortisol, and it’s good for cognitive aspects of the brain,” explained Antiques Roadshow expert Charlotte Riordan, who is also head of contemporary art at auctioneers, Lyon & Turnbull. “Plus, the artwork makes these settings feel more domestic, which maybe makes people feel more comfortable, relaxed, like they’re at home,” she added. “It takes away the sterility of the environment. Art in Healthcare have been at it for so long, they’ve been really ahead of the curve.”
Whether splashes of colour, animals, rural landscapes or abstract work, the charity aims to put pieces together in a way that allows each individual artwork to be more than just itself, bringing beauty into unexpected spaces. The recent sale of three sought-after pieces, auctioned at Lyon & Turnbull by Riordan, raised just shy of £14,000 for the charity, which will now go a long way to helping more artwork find its way into more healthcare settings.