Simply looking at visual art, visiting a museum, or having art in your hospital room can enhance well-being, particularly repeated engagement, which can increase the meaning we feel in life, according to a new international study led by researchers from the University of Vienna. The systematic review, published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, is the first to comprehensively evaluate how, when, and why art viewing supports mental health. It was conducted by an interdisciplinary team from Vienna, Dublin, Berlin, Cambridge, and Nijmegen.

Over the past decades, the idea that the arts can support mental health has gained momentum. While creating art has long been seen as beneficial for emotional and psychological well-being, the effects of simply viewing art have remained largely underexplored. Findings to date were scattered and inconsistent, with few studies examining the conditions under which art viewing may be effective. The new review synthesized data from 38 studies involving 6,805 participants, aiming to determine not only whether viewing art improves well-being, but also when, under what conditions, and through which psychological processes it does so. These 38 studies, published between 2000 and 2023, were drawn from four major databases.

Positive Potential

The researchers found the strongest evidence for benefits in eudemonic well-being - a sense of meaning, purpose, and personal development. "People often think of art as a luxury, but our findings suggest that participating in viewing art activities - whether as part of one's hobbies or through a targeted intervention - can meaningfully support well-being," said MacKenzie Trupp, lead author and researcher at the University of Vienna and Radboud UMC, Donders Institute. "This opens up exciting possibilities for integrating art into everyday environments and public health strategies."

Frames and Formats

Art viewing for well-being can happen in a wide range of contexts - from museums and hospitals to living rooms and online platforms. The reviewed studies included both single exposures and longer programs with multiple sessions. Participants engaged in diverse activities, including individual viewing, guided sessions, and reflective tasks such as journaling, emotional rating, or discussion. Many interventions combined art viewing with so-called "accessory activities" like guided reflection or creative exercises. Reflective strategies were among the most frequently used - and may play a central role in achieving positive effects.

Mechanisms

While earlier studies hinted at benefits such as mood improvement or stress reduction, the field lacked synthesis and conceptual clarity. The researchers identified five psychological mechanisms that help explain how art viewing supports well-being. Affective mechanisms include emotional regulation and the experience of pleasure, triggered by aesthetic responses. Cognitive mechanisms involve attention, memory, and learning - art can prompt reflection or stimulate curiosity. Social mechanisms describe how shared art experiences foster connection and reduce feelings of isolation. Self-transformative mechanisms allow for personal reflection, identity reinforcement, and a sense of meaning. Finally, resilience-building mechanisms support emotional coping, and restoration, especially in clinical or high-stress environments. Together, these mechanisms offer valuable insights for future research and help inform the design of more effective art-based interventions. To help standardize and improve future studies in this field, the authors developed the Receptive Art Activity Research Reporting Guidelines (RAARR) - a new set of criteria to ensure that future interventions and research can be better compared, evaluated, and replicated.

Art Meets Health

While the benefits of creating art are well documented, this study highlights the untapped potential of viewing art as a well-being resource. As art is already present in public and private spaces, it could be more intentionally used as a low-cost, accessible mental health tool. Policy-makers, educators, and healthcare providers are encouraged to consider these findings in the design of future spaces and programs. The RAARR guidelines will also support more rigorous and reproducible research moving forward.

The project is funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 ART*IS Project.