Arts on Prescription Presented as a Model for Mental Well-being at Nordic Public Health Conference 2025

The Nordic Public Health Conference (NPHC) 2025 concluded on a high note in Gothenburg after three days of inspiring discussions, knowledge exchange, and future-forward collaboration. Among the notable sessions was a dedicated presentation on Arts on Prescription (AoP), featured under the theme “Building Resilient Communities Together”, which offered fresh insights into community-based mental health strategies.

Hosted from 13-15 May, the Nordic Public Health Conference 2025 in Gothenburg gathered 600 public health professionals from 18 countries, underscoring the growing global interest in Nordic models of health equity and social innovation. Experts, policymakers, and practitioners engaged deeply on issues ranging from climate impacts to mental health strategies, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in addressing complex public health challenges.

Spotlight on Innovation: Arts on Prescription

Among the notable sessions was a dedicated presentation on Arts on Prescription (AoP), featured under the theme “Building Resilient Communities Together”. Millie Kealy-Jensen (Odense Kommune), Carsten Hinrichsen (University of Southern Denmark), Paula Bergman (Jönköping University), Elias Sandling (Sunderby Folkshögskola) presented the AoP concept and research results with compelling evidence on the impact of AoP across the Nordic region. AoP is a community-based, non-medical intervention that uses arts and cultural activities to support individuals facing mental health challenges. It is a form of social prescribing – connecting healthcare with culture and community services, offering support outside conventional clinical settings.

If we are serious about promoting mental health, this kind of model should not be the exception — it should be policy, said Paula during her presentation, which was met with enthusiastic applause.

In a short video published by at the Nordic Public Health Conference LinkedIn channel (external link), Paul shares insights on the implementation and research of AoP across Sweden and the Nordic countries. Research shows that AoP participants experience significant and lasting improvements in depression, anxiety, and stress, along with an enhanced sense of coherence and social connectedness – outcomes that support the value of integrating arts and cultural activities into broader health strategies.

Explore more AoP-related abstracts from #NPHC2025 (external link).

Launch of the online Arts on Prescription Guide

The Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region project took the chance to present the brand-new Arts on Prescription Guide (#MadeWithInterreg, co-funded by the European Union/ERDF) designed for practitioners (such as coordinators, project managers, and cultural actors) and decision-makers. The guide offers practical insights into how to organize, finance, and evaluate Arts on Prescription programmes. This pixi book briefly introduces to the guide’s different themes and chapters. Enjoy the reading!

A Unified Call for Public Health Action

Since 1987, the Nordic Public Health Conference has served as a vital platform for sharing knowledge and fostering collaboration across borders. A key milestone was the 2014 Trondheim Declaration, which emphasized that Equity in health is a political choice. Its core message remains urgent today: address the root causes of health, value evidence, and support sustainable community development.

In the face of global challenges – from climate change and technological shifts to pandemics, war, and political instability – the impact on public health has never been greater. Now more than ever, we must stand united to protect the welfare systems and human rights that have taken decades to build.

From the left: Olivia Wigzell, Director General of the Public Health Agency of Sweden, Mika Salminen, Director General of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Øyvind Giæver, Director of department at the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Maria Heimisdottir, Director of Health at The Directorate of Health, Iceland, Jonas Egebart, Director General of the Danish Health Authority and the conference moderator of NPHC2025 Kattis Ahlström. Picture © NPHC 2025

With the conference closing statement, all public health stakeholders acroos the Nordic countires and beyond are called out to continue working together by:
✔ Making evidence-based decisions
✔ Promoting health equity and protection
✔ Tackling complex issues like disinformation, epidemics, and environmental crises
✔ Strengthening universal health coverage and welfare systems
✔ Engaging communities across all sectors

Together, we can build healthier, more resilient societies – grounded in equity, knowledge, and shared responsibility!

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