In the heart of the A. Gemelli IRCCS University Hospital, ART4MIND was born—a groundbreaking initiative that unites medicine, art, technology, and research to address mental health in innovative ways, with a special focus on young people. Mental health today stands as one of the most significant health and social challenges: more than 42% of Italian youths aged 18 to 34 have suffered from anxiety or depression (ISTAT, 2024), often linked to isolation and relationship difficulties.
ART4MIND stems from the collaboration between the Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli and Unhate Foundation, supported by Edizione, Mundys, and Roma Airport, with the patronage of the Lazio Region. At the center of the initiative is an integrated approach to care, where art becomes an ally of medicine.
The Therapeutic Power of Art
The project rests on a premise as revolutionary as it is scientifically documented: beauty is healing. As highlighted in the WHO Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67 (2019), using art in care settings can significantly improve psychological well-being, fostering the expression of complex emotions and strengthening personal identity.
In the day-hospital ward of the Psychiatry Unit (UOC), artists under 30 selected by Unhate Foundation will undertake residency periods, creating works inspired by clinical reality, engaging in dialogue with patients, doctors, and staff. The creative labs, carried out with patients, become opportunities for authentic self-expression and reinterpretation of the self.
Arts in Health: Toward a Model of Integrated Medicine
<p ART4MIND fits within the Arts in Health strand, an international approach that integrates art and culture into clinical practice to promote health and well-being. The aim is not only therapeutic but also scientific: every phase of the project will be monitored and documented for research, with the goal of systematizing the model and making it replicable in other healthcare facilities.
The project represents a laboratory of therapeutic innovation where care is not limited to pharmacotherapy or traditional psychotherapy, but expands into a multidimensional model where art, science, and humanity coexist.
A Concrete Response to the Silent Emergency of Youth Distress
Mental health disorders—anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, identity issues, and schizophrenia—are affecting young people more and more, particularly women and NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training). ART4MIND responds to this silent emergency with concrete action: turning the care environment into a place of renaissance, where the patient is not a passive recipient of care, but an active protagonist in a creative process.
Art thus becomes a mediator between physician and patient, capable of revealing and protecting, within a richer and deeper therapeutic relationship.
A Alliance Between Diverse Worlds for a Sustainable Future of Mental Health
ART4MIND also serves as a virtuous example of cross-sector partnership. As Prof. Gabriele Sani, director of the Psychiatry Unit, noted: “Art enables deep experiences to surface, helps process difficult emotions, and restores hope and meaning to those living with vulnerability.” The project rests on the conviction that care must go beyond symptoms, engaging the patient in their whole bio-psycho-social being.
Alessandro Benetton, president of Unhate Foundation, emphasizes how the project embodies the foundational vision of his organization: turning social fractures into opportunities. From creating athletic opportunities in underserved areas to fighting school dropout, Unhate focuses on art as a social tool.
A Replicable, Ethical, and Sustainable Model
ART4MIND is set to become a scalable model, ready to inspire the design of new care spaces, such as Gemelli’s future SPDC planned for 2027. Daniele Piacentini, the Foundation’s General Director, speaks of a project that strengthens Gemelli as a laboratory of research and experimentation serving people.
Ultimately, ART4MIND represents a visionary synthesis of science, humanity, and beauty, with the ambition of redefining psychiatric care in an integrated, participatory, and transformative way.
Abbonati a Karla Miller
