A new study reveals that viewing visual art—whether in a museum, hospital, or online—can significantly enhance a person’s sense of well-being by fostering meaning in life and promoting personal growth.
The research, published this week in The Journal of Positive Psychology, analyzed 38 studies involving 6,805 participants and found consistent links between art observation and eudemonic well-being, a form of wellness related to purpose and self-realization.
While past research hinted at the mood-boosting effects of art, this study is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of when and how art-viewing activities are employed to improve mental health.
“People often think of art as a luxury, but our research suggests that viewing art—whether as a hobby or as a targeted health intervention—can meaningfully support well-being,” said lead author MacKenzie Trupp of the University of Vienna and Radboud UMC’s Donders Institute.
Trupp and colleagues from Trinity College Dublin and Humboldt University of Berlin reviewed decades of global research. Their findings showed art can positively impact well-being across diverse environments, including hospitals, virtual reality settings, and traditional galleries.
Art forms used in interventions included iconic works like Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, as well as contemporary mixed media installations. Most interventions studied involved a single viewing session, yet still produced measurable benefits.
Assistant Professor Claire Howlin, from Trinity’s School of Psychology, said the review sheds light on an underexplored area. “While the mental health benefits of creating art have been widely explored, the impact of viewing art has been under-researched and undervalued,” she noted.
Howlin emphasized that visual art is already embedded in many public and private spaces, offering untapped potential to support mental health. “Art can satisfy people’s need to search for meaning in life, build self-esteem, and develop positive identities—important tools for coping with the chaos of life,” she added.
In 2019, the World Health Organization recommended integrating creative approaches with clinical care. This study supports those efforts by providing empirical evidence for incorporating art into mental health strategies. It also responds to calls from European health departments and arts councils for reliable data to guide public health interventions.
To improve consistency in future research, the authors developed the Receptive Art Activity Research Reporting Guidelines (RAARR), aiming to standardize how studies in this field are conducted and reported.
By repositioning art as a low-cost, widely accessible tool for public well-being, researchers hope the findings will influence policymakers to integrate visual art into therapeutic and everyday environments.
Originally posted by Fiona Tyrrell, Trinity College Dublin per phys.org/news