The effects of engagement in arts and cultural activities on adolescent mental health: Results from a large UK panel study

Adolescent mental health is in crisis in the UK and around the world, which has huge social and economic costs. Investing in prevention and early intervention is key. There has been much policy interest in ‘Creative Health’, and the role that engaging with arts and culture can have on mental health and wellbeing, including for adolescents. Existing research is positive but methodologically limited and it has often focused on short, sharp interventions for ‘at risk’ groups. This study uses a large panel dataset and longitudinal regression methods to better unpick the relationship between arts engagement and mental health in adolescents, addressing some methodological issues in existing research. Results indicate that engaging with arts and cultural activities can improve mental health in 11–15 year-olds; increasing engagement with arts and cultural activities by one standard deviation could reduce SDQ externalising symptom scores by 0.26 points (∼2.4 % of the mean). ‘Active’ engagement may be more beneficial than ‘passive’ engagement, and female adolescents may benefit more than male adolescents. These findings suggest that there is scope for policies to encourage regular active engagement with arts and cultural activities for all adolescents, as a preventative, public health approach to improving mental health and wellbeing.