The Influence of Art on Social Exclusion and Well-being

Research on arts programmes seems to indicate that they have served as an interventive tool to improve well-being and promote social inclusion. The aim of this systematic review is to establish the effect of artistic projects or activities on the improvement of well-being and social inclusion based on studies published between 2010 and 2020. A literature search was carried out in different databases. All quantitative or mixed studies on arts projects, measuring well-being and social exclusion in a quantitative way, were included. Finally, 6 studies were included that showed low methodological quality according to the PEDro scale. 3 (n=219) of the 6 studies found significant improvements in social inclusion, and 5 (n=263) of the 6 found improvements in well-being. Improvements in well-being and social inclusion are found, although the results should be interpreted with caution given the low methodological quality of the studies.