Art For Your Heart: Assessing the Impact of a Community-Based Visual Art Program on the Well-being of Military Spouses Living Overseas

Military spouses living overseas cope with an extensive number of stressors due to the nomadic lifestyle of the military community. These stressors often have a negative impact on the well-being of the spouse, affecting the military member. Research has shown that community art programs can have a positive impact on well-being. This pilot study addressed the gap in Arts in Health programming for military spouses stationed overseas.

Art for Your Heart is a study that aimed to evaluate the impact a community-based visual art program can have on military spouses living overseas. This mixed-methods study involved a six-session, community watercolor workshop and a gallery night as the intervention. Quantitative data collected pre- and post-intervention using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale showed a mean improvement of 10.4 points. Qualitative data collected throughout the six-week intervention revealed four common themes: enjoyed the class community, enjoyed the class and sad to see it ending, enjoyed learning to paint, and improved well-being. The intervention successfully improved participants’ well-being.

Keywords: arts in health, military spouse, visual art, well-being

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WHAT IS

ARTS IN HEALTH?

Arts in Health is a field dedicated to using the power of the arts to enhance health and well-being in diverse institutional and community contexts. Comprised of many subfields and affiliated fields, arts in health supports health as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” — Art, Health, & Well-being in America, NOAH, 2017

Arts in Health: Military Spouse Well-being Study Overseas

When 35 military spouses registered for my watercolor workshop within 24 hours, I knew we'd tapped into something urgent. These women—facing isolation, unemployment, and constant relocations overseas—needed more than an art class. They needed connection and hope. Six weeks later, the data told a powerful story: an average 10.4-point jump in well-being scores. What I witnessed was even more remarkable: women walking in heavy, leaving light.

Dec 54 min read