INFOGRAPHIC

Cultural Events May Give You a Mood Boost

April 07, 2025
Did you know? People over 50 who go to the movies, museum, or theater at least once a month have a 48% lower risk of depression. Cultural engagement involves social interaction, cognitive stimulation, and gentle physical activity, which can help to prevent depression. Source: Fancourt, D. & Tymoszuk, U. (2019) Cultural engagement and incident depression in older adults: evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. British Journal of Psychiatry.

If you needed a very good reason to get out of the house and enjoy a movie, the theater, or a museum, here it is.

Not only can attending artistic events be enjoyable but researchers at Cambridge University found that this type of cultural engagement is associated with a lower risk of depression for people over the age of 50.

The research also suggests that the more the better. For participants who attended a cultural event every few months, there was a 32% lower risk of depression, but for those who attended every month, there was a 48% lower risk.

Consider scheduling a trip to the theater or the museum for your next outing. There are often reduced rates or even free admission for people over 62 on certain days of the month. Your local library or community center may also offer cultural events for free.