The Impact of Viewing Art on Well-being—A Systematic Review of the Evidence Base and Suggested Mechanisms
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Art viewing has been increasingly seen as having benefits for well-being. However, research on these impacts is disparate, and our understanding of the processes that underlie the impact of art viewing is underdeveloped. We present a systematic review (CRD42022296890), which critically evaluates the evidence of the well-being effects of art viewing, summarizes the characteristics of art viewing experiences and study designs, and presents a thematic analysis of mechanisms. CINAHL, EBSCOhost, Scopus, and Pubmed were searched, and 38 papers were included, with a total of N = 5,092 participants. Quantitative synthesis revealed a diversity of schedules, components, and outcomes. Further, more rigorous methodology is needed, as less than a quarter included control conditions. However, eudemonic well-being emerged as understudied yet had convergent evidence of effect. The thematic analysis revealed affective, cognitive, social, self-transformative, and resilience-building mechanisms. We provide reporting guidelines and a detailed database of included articles for future researchers.
Language: English
Subfield: Conservation
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4407205129