Playing in the mud: Health psychology, the arts and creative approaches to health care

Health psychologists ’ use of the arts is an emerging area for research and practice. This article examines recent research findings and suggests strategies for incorporating the arts in health care across a wide range of clinical and community settings. Ethological theories support the evolutionary significance of the arts in human development and help form a foundation to understand the biopsychosocial processes involved in arts participation. This article builds upon this foundation and presents a wide range of arts and health interventions in the areas of health promotion and prevention, illness management, clinical assessment and improvement of the health care system