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The Healing Arts – Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine

International Society for Arts and Medicine (ISfAM)
18.-20.06.2026
Berlin

Meeting Abstract

Beyond Words: The Science and Soul of Arts-Based Care Across the Human Lifespan

Rainbow Tin Hung Ho - The University of Hong Kong

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Art is not merely a form of expression – it is a measurable vehicle for healing. Art-based interventions transcend cultural boundaries and provide a uniquely inclusive medium for care across the entire human life cycle. Drawing on more than two decades of empirical research in our center – including randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and mixed-methods studies – this presentation presents evidence demonstrating that creative and expressive arts interventions can produce significant psychophysiological and psychosocial effects. Whether in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, or later life, scientific research consistently demonstrates that participation in artistic activities can regulate cortisol levels, induce brain synchronization, alleviate anxiety and depression, restore bodily awareness following a stroke, and preserve personality traits in individuals with dementia – outcomes that are often unattainable through speech therapy alone. The key insights are both physiologically significant and humanistically grounded: art works through the body, not around it. It mobilizes biological systems, activates interpersonal resonance, and reaches populations that language alone cannot. This presentation demonstrates an evidence-based, culturally sensitive, full-lifecycle model of art and care—one that positions art as an indispensable clinical element rather than merely an adjunct.