Using Art to Prevent and Manage Substance Use Disorders

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded JBA a contract to examine the role of arts-based interventions and therapies in preventing and managing pain and/or substance use disorders. The project taps into continued concern about opioid misuse in the United States, including overdose-related deaths from prescription pain relievers.

Emerging research  suggests that programs involving the arts can help prevent substance use disorders and support long-term remission and recovery. JBA will perform a rigorous literature review and program scan of arts-based interventions and therapies to continue the conversation about their potential. The project team will look at a broad range of preventive- and recovery-focused models incorporating music, visual arts, drama, theater, dance, movement, poetry, and literature.