The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Canada has teamed up with a of doctors to help people. The doctors will prescribe to Montreal's art galleries, instead of giving medicine. The museum is taking part in 10 trials on patients to find out what art has on health. The patients include people with breast , eating disorders, epilepsy and mental health . Thomas Bastien, director of education and wellness at the museum, believes that art heals. He said: "We saw that the museum was for people, so we decided to start this program with the doctors. If you're suffering from breast cancer, you could come to the museum and you might feel ."
A doctor who has a lot of in helping to heal people with art spoke about the of art therapy. Dr Hélène Boyer said: "There's more and more scientific that art therapy is good for your health." She said looking at art increases released in our bodies. These hormones are responsible for our -being. Dr Boyer said visiting art galleries released the kinds of hormones that are released when we exercise. Nathalie Bondil, the museum's director-general, said physical activity and art gave health benefits. She said: "I am convinced that in the 21st , [art] will be what physical activity was for in the 20th century."
