Begin with the End in Mind Lecture Series Explores How Arts and Humanities Support Caregiver Well-Being

The 2026 “Begin with the End in Mind” Lecture Series, part of programming supported by the Department of Gerontology, continued this week with a two-part session examining the intersection of healthcare, burnout, and the healing role of the arts and humanities. The Department of Gerontology also expressed gratitude for the late Terry Haney for his support of the Terry Haney Chair of Gerontology and for funding the “Begin with the End in Mind” series, which makes programming like this possible.

The first segment featured Steven Wengel, MD, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Wellness at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Wengel focused on caregiver burnout, describing it as a widespread and persistent challenge in healthcare environments.

“Burnout of caregivers looks a lot like depression and is often confused with it,” Wengel noted, emphasizing that emotional exhaustion and detachment among caregivers can mirror clinical mental health conditions while stemming from chronic occupational stress. He added that “burnout is alive and well in those who care for others,” underscoring the ongoing strain experienced by professionals in high-demand care roles.

Wengel highlighted engagement with the arts and humanities as a meaningful strategy for resilience and recovery. Activities such as performing arts, poetry, meditation, drawing, and painting, he explained, can activate different areas of the brain and help restore emotional balance. “All of us have creativity,” he said, encouraging attendees to consider how they might tap into their own creative capacities as a form of self-care and reflection.

The second half of the session featured Mark Gilbert, PhD, professor and unit coordinator of Art and Art History with the University of Nebraska at Omaha School of the Arts. Gilbert, an artist and researcher, has led several high-profile art-based research initiatives exploring illness, recovery, and caregiving experiences through portraiture. His work includes projects such as Saving Faces at The Royal London Hospital and Portraits of Care at UNMC, with exhibitions shown internationally, including at London’s National Portrait Gallery.

Gilbert reflected on the impact of art in clinical and end-of-life contexts, noting that “arts have the ability to allow us to engage with some of the most challenging circumstances.” He emphasized that creative expression can help individuals process difficult experiences and find meaning within them. “Art helps to engage and find meaning,” he said, describing it as part of the “healing” dimension of artistic practice.

Gilbert also discussed his doctoral research completed at UNMC in 2014, which examined the experience of portraiture in clinical settings, particularly from the perspectives of both the artist and head and neck cancer patients. His findings contributed to a broader understanding of how visual art can shape patient and caregiver experiences in healthcare environments.

Together, the session underscored a shared theme: that creativity and the humanities are not separate from medicine, but can play an essential role in supporting emotional resilience, particularly in caregiving professions.