Feeling stressed, unwell, or burnt out at work? A Swiss town is offering a unique approach to healing: art therapy through museum visits, prescribed by doctors.

In Neuchâtel, Switzerland, a two-year pilot project has been launched where doctors can prescribe free visits to any of the town's four museums for patients they believe could benefit from exposure to art.

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Local authorities are covering the costs of these "museum prescriptions," based on a 2019 World Health Organization report which highlighted the positive effects of the arts on mental health, trauma recovery, cognitive decline, frailty, and premature mortality.

Art can serve as preventive medicine, helping to relax the mind. Additionally, museum visits encourage physical activity through walking and standing for extended periods.

Julie Courcier Delafontaine, a council member in Neuchâtel, noted that the COVID-19 crisis also contributed to the program's creation. "During the lockdowns, people realized just how much we need cultural sites to feel better," she said.

So far, around 500 museum prescriptions have been distributed, with a budget of 10,000 Swiss francs (around $11,300). If successful, the program could be expanded to include other forms of artistic expression, such as theatre or dance. Although the Swiss national healthcare system doesn't yet recognize culture as therapy, Courcier Delafontaine hopes the program’s success will change that.

Marianne de Reynier Nevsky, the town’s cultural mediation manager, who helped create the program, mentioned a similar initiative in Montreal, Canada, in 2019. She believes it could benefit a wide range of patients, such as those suffering from depression, chronic illness, or mobility issues.

The goal is also to encourage patients who are reluctant to leave their homes to get moving. Dr. Marc-Olivier Sauvain, head of surgery at Neuchâtel Hospital, has already prescribed museum visits to patients to help them prepare physically for surgery. He expects a wider rollout after a control group is established.

"It's wishful thinking to tell patients to walk or stroll to improve fitness before surgery," Sauvain explained. "Museum prescriptions offer both physical and intellectual exercise."

For patients, this approach is often more appealing than traditional treatments. "It's really nice to prescribe museum visits rather than medications or tests that patients don’t enjoy," Sauvain said.

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Some visitors to the museums, like poet and retired teacher Carla Fragniere Filliger, have expressed their support for the initiative. "I think it’s a great idea," she said during her visit. "There should be prescriptions for all the museums in the world!"