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 Bergman during her presentation, which was met with enthusiastic applause.

In this short video, Paula Bergman 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.

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 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 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.

With the conference closing statement, all public health stakeholders across the Nordic countries 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!

Arts on Prescription receives financial support from the Interreg Baltic Sea Region and is co-funded by the European Union.