title: Participatory arts for older adults: a review of benefits and challenges.
abstract: This article reviews the scientific literature on the enhancement of healthy aging in older adults through active participation in the arts. Methodologies and conclusions are described for studies of dance, expressive writing, music (singing and instrumental), theatre arts, and visual arts including documentation of mental/physical improvements in memory, creativity, problem solving, everyday competence, reaction time, balance/gait, and quality of life. In addition to these gains in measures of successful aging, the article also provides (in a Supplementary Appendix) some selected examples of arts engagement for remedial purposes. Finally, it offers suggestions for expanding inquiry into this underinvestigated corner of aging research.
authors: Department of Theatre, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois. noicea@net.elmhurst.edu.
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Noice
authors: Department of Psychology, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois.
authors: Helga
authors: H
authors: Noice
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
authors: Arthur F
authors: AF
authors: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D003071:Cognition; D003405:Creativity; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D008603:Mental Health; D009146:Music; D011340:Problem Solving; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: Arts; Cognition; Health benefits; Quality of life