Pills or paintings? Swiss town lets doctors prescribe free museum visits as art therapy

Stressed? Feeling run down? In need of a little pick-me-up? Well, if you’re in the Swiss town of Neuchâtel, you might just get a doctor’s note to visit a museum — for free.

In a novel pilot project launched by local and regional authorities, doctors can now prescribe “museum visits” as part of a treatment plan. This initiative, which covers the cost of entry to any of the town’s four museums, aims to boost mental health and provide some cultural respite for patients.

The idea isn’t just about enjoying art; it’s backed by science. A 2019 World Health Organization report highlighted the numerous mental health benefits of engaging with the arts. From reducing the impact of trauma to slowing cognitive decline, arka therapy has been shown to have a positive impact on overall well-being.

“Art can help relax the mind, almost like preventative medicine,” said Julie Courcier Delafontaine, a Neuchâtel council member. “People realised during the Covid crisis, when cultural sites were closed, just how much we need these spaces to feel better.”

Since launching, the programme has distributed around 500 prescriptions, with only a modest budget of 10,000 Swiss francs (roughly €10,460). If successful, local officials are considering expanding it to include other cultural activities like theatre or dance. Though the Swiss national health system currently doesn’t cover “culture as therapy,” Courcier Delafontaine hopes it might in the future.

Marianne de Reynier Nevsky, the cultural mediation manager in Neuchâtel, was instrumental in creating the programme, drawing inspiration from a similar initiative launched in Montreal in 2019. She believes a wide range of patients could benefit, from those suffering depression to those with chronic illnesses or mobility issues.

“It could be a person with depression, a person who has trouble walking, a person with a chronic illness,” Nevsky explained. The key is encouraging patients to get out of the house, walk, and engage with their surroundings — even if it’s just for an hour in a museum.

Dr. Marc-Olivier Sauvain, head of surgery at the Neuchâtel Hospital Network, has already prescribed museum visits to patients. For those preparing for surgery, it’s an opportunity to get fit and active before going under the knife. He believes a more widespread rollout will help get more patients moving.

“I think these patients will fully benefit from museum prescriptions,” Sauvain said. “It’s a chance to get both physical and intellectual exercise.”

And it’s not just the doctors who are excited. Carla Fragniere Filliger, a retired teacher and poet, was all for the idea during a recent visit to the Ethnographic Museum. “I think it’s a great idea,” she said. “There should be prescriptions for all the museums in the world!”