The Role of Humanities in Modern Healthcare

What does The Humanities offer to the future of healthcare?

The Humanities is defined as “those branches of knowledge that concern themselves with human beings and their culture or with analytic and critical methods of inquiry derived from an appreciation of human values and of the unique ability of the human spirit to express itself.” (Britannica, 2025). Humanities scholars can use these analytical skills, whilst understand the importance of arts and culture and know the weaknesses that it has.  By looking at the humanities, I can make judgements on where it falls short, particularly when talking about sociopolitical and economic factors of healthcare.

Arguably, the UK healthcare system currently runs on neoliberalist structures, where the aim isn’t to treat people as humans, but as a commodity, in order to meet targets that the government set. For example, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, targets health and wellbeing in their goals to achieve by 2030, with one target outlining “Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States” (United Nations, 2025), which takes away the humanity from healthcare. People then become statistics and their health needs become generic.

Western medicine often focuses on two areas of health: diagnosis and treatment, whether that is preventative, a cure, or making symptoms less prevalent. As defined by the National Cancer Institute, Western medicine is a “system in which medical doctors and other health care professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Also called allopathic medicine, biomedicine, conventional medicine, mainstream medicine, and orthodox medicine.” (National Cancer Institute, 2025). This concept is dominant within the running of health services within the most influential countries and due to it being viewed as ‘conventional’, it is rarely ever disputed against in comparison to alternative methods. This is where The Humanities can assist more holistic methods of prevention and treatment, usually done through arts and culture.

The benefits of the arts on health and wellbeing

Arts and culture can have a profound impact on a person’s mental health and it can “foster significant interpretive enquiry into illness, disability, suffering, and care” (Tischler, 2010). Not only can this be a method of curing stress-related illnesses, for example how using music, dance or art can be offered as a therapy treatment, but also as preventative measures. Finding community spaces where everyone has a shared interest or character trait that everyone can relate to can have a positive impact on preventing these specific illnesses. “Similarly, in a report dealing specifically with developing confidence and self-esteem through ACL, Eldred et al (2004: 31) describe these mental health and well-being-related benefits across a wide range of contexts and subjects, including vocational and life skills, community development, personal development, drama, arts and culture”

(Lewis, 2023) – ACL is adult community learning and is a practice that brings people together to learn, not for economic gain but for the process of learning. Some autoimmune diseases, mental health disorders and heart problems are caused by stress and therefore it is imperative that we turn to holistic methods of mindfulness. One of these can be music.

Dominic “Yungblud” Harrison is a singer within the alternative rock/pop punk genre – Harrison has been open about his mental health condition, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and his struggles with depression, talking with Unmasked about the “complexities of his journey, discussing how music became both a sanctuary and a means to connect with others facing similar challenges. He emphasized the importance of destigmatizing conversations around mental health, particularly within the music industry, where pressures and expectations can exacerbate existing issues. By sharing his personal experiences, YUNGBLUD encourages fans to prioritize their mental well-being and seek support when needed.” (Billboard, 2024) Harrison uses his music as a method of coping with poor mental health, however he works with his fans to provide support where he can. He has opened a merchandise store in London where it acts as a community hub for his fans, which he affectionately calls the Black Hearts Club, with one fan saying “The B.R.A.T shop isn’t just a retail space, it’s a living, breathing testament to community, creativity, and unapologetic self-expression. The Black Hearts Club finally has a place to gather, share stories, raise a Bludbeer, and call home.” (Yungblud Rebels, 2026) – Harrison has envisaged a future where therapy sessions and community events can be held in this space. This support network is designed to aid people’s mental health through music in the way that it has for Harrison, and subsequently, will aid physical health too.

Another initiative he has launched (in 2024) is BludFest. The ticket prices are significantly lower than the average music festival, he uses it to highlight upcoming musicians within the industry and enables his fans to have a community space; the Grammy award-winning singer discusses how  “There’s nothing more powerful in this world than connection with people. Belief in a mutual idea, or a thing, brings people together in the same way.”. Harrison has called out ticket companies for the price hikes of concerts and festivals, stating, ““This is just dumb. Just stupid. It does not represent real people. I cannot play a festival where it’s like £800 a ticket. How can you stand on stage, and that’s okay?” He added that part of the reason he created BLUDFEST was to offer the change he wanted to see. “We wanted to come back and do 20 bands for £65, because that’s the way it should be. In this world, there is nothing you can’t achieve if you are doing it from a place of truth, and for the right reason.,” (Harrison, 2025). When talking about his festival, BludFest, which emphasises on making music accessible, he says ““You get to see bands all day and keep the price low because I know the cost of living crisis is crazy right now and the system that is in place with gigs and festivals doesn’t represent what normal people are going through and that’s a fact. Music should be accessible to everyone, in my opinion.” (Harrison, 2025). Harrison emphasises on artists that don’t conform to societal norms, whilst making it low cost for people to be able to access the emotional and cultural benefits of going to a concert and experiencing live music. Reducing financial constraints, and enabling authenticity will present long-term health benefits. The issue with this is the funding that is behind it, with Harrison being open with the fact he does not profit from this event.

By using the arts and humanities, we can aid wellbeing to ensure mental health can be monitored and treated continually for everyone, which would prevent a lot of people from needing medical treatment for other health conditions in the long run. This is a large, short term expenditure but for a significant long-term impact, which is where the humanities gets dismissed. Using creative and expressive outlets, such as initiatives like BludFest which brings people together, can enable us to reflect on the reality we live in to think critically over the decisions we make. However, whilst these

things are viewed as less valuable and often inaccessible, it is difficult to express how it can make significant change to healthcare in the future. The concepts around the humanities have been seen to have a vast impact on health and healthcare, but until mindsets change around capitalism, it is hard to tell whether it will make the impact that it can, going forward.