University of Arizona Partners with Art Pharmacy to Launch Social Prescribing Program to Support Student Mental Health

Novel arts-based health treatment to be available to improve campuses’ student mental health

TUCSON, AZ, UNITED STATES, April 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Art Pharmacy, a healthcare services company, is proud to announce the University of Arizona is joining its network of educational institutions to launch its social prescription program available to students to address well-being beginning at the fall 2025 semester.

“We are proud to offer Art Pharmacy’s solution to all of University of Arizona’s students and appreciate its leadership in innovating to address student mental health,” said Art Pharmacy Founder and CEO Chris Appleton. “The social prescribing movement is growing throughout our country as anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation rates on college campuses are at an all-time high. Introducing non-stigmatized, readily available mental health interventions is critical for institutional partners looking to implement and scale social prescribing.”

The World Health Organization points to creative engagement as a powerful public-health tool and encourages cross-sector collaboration to weave the arts into strategies for keeping people well and preventing disease. Soon, University of Arizona students could leave the campus clinic with prescriptions for salsa lessons, a stroll through the botanical gardens, or a hands-on pottery session—marking the arrival of social prescribing on campus.[1]

Art Pharmacy reduces wait times and improves health outcomes for participating students through its tech-enabled, human-powered social prescribing solution. By working with the university’s campus partners in student health services, counseling and psychological services, and student success, the team will pursue the goal of improving student well-being and reducing the risk of crisis care.

The initiative, spearheaded by Arizona Arts, includes campus partners the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, Student Affairs / Campus Health and the Student Success and Retention Initiative.

“Dr. Andy Schulz of Arizona Arts should be commended for his leadership in bringing these three campus partners together to address student mental health,” said Appleton. “This will be the first campus in the Southwest to offer social prescribing, but one of many innovative campuses across the United States planning to offer our services in the fall.”

“Arizona Arts ensures that all students, regardless of major, have opportunities for meaningful arts engagement during their time at the U of A,” said Schulz, Vice President for the Arts at the university. “Our partnership with Art Pharmacy provides an innovative way of achieving that mission by leveraging the arts to support student health and wellness. It has been exciting to forge partnerships across campus to create and deliver this program, and visionary supporters and donors to the arts have made it possible. I can’t wait to see the impact!”

“Art has the ability to inspire, connect, and offer perspective. It helps us understand the human experience and provides hope - a vital but often overlooked facet of overall health,” said Dr. David Salafsky, Executive Director of Campus Health. “We look forward to bringing more of these transformative experiences to our students to support the health of our community.”

“Art Pharmacy is rewriting the script on health by integrating creativity, compassion, and community into traditional healthcare models,” said Dr. Stephen Dahmer, Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. “This innovative approach, already implemented in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, and soon here in Arizona, combines decades of arts and health research with social prescribing to tackle some of our most pressing health issues.”

To learn more about Art Pharmacy, reach out to Art Pharmacy at hello@artphamacy.co or visit www.artpharmacy.co.

About the Study
[1] Dow, R., Warran, K., Letrondo, P., & Fancourt, D. (2023, February). The arts in public health policy: Progress and opportunities. Lancet Public Health, 8(2), e155-e160. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(22)00313-9

Amy Parrish
Rhythm Communications
+1 404-310-6559
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