Swiss doctors prescribe gallery visits and walks in the park

A health initiative in Switzerland is prescribing visits to galleries, museums and public gardens.

The pilot project launched last month in the city of Neuchatel is aimed at patients with mental health issues and chronic illnesses.

Patricia Lehmann, a doctor taking part in the programme, said that for people with mental health problems “it allows them for a moment to forget their worries, their pain, their illnesses to go and spend a joyful moment of discovery”.

She added: “I’m convinced that when we take care of people’s emotions, we allow them somehow to perhaps find a path to healing.”

The scheme will issue 500 free prescriptions for visits to three museums and the city’s botanical garden.

The idea was prompted by a 2019 World Health Organisation study exploring the role of the arts in promoting health and dealing with illness.

Julie Courcier Delafontaine, head of the city’s culture department, said museum closures during the Covid lockdowns hit people’s wellbeing.

“That was a real trigger and we were really convinced that culture was essential for the wellbeing of humanity,” she said.

The pilot will last a year and could be expanded to other arts activities, such as theatre.