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A recently-released study suggests that a museum visit can help an array of mental and physical conditions, including anxiety, chronic pain and even dementia
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 28 Jun 2022
A museum visit offers an array of physical and mental health benefits Credit: Simona Sergi on Unsplash
If you’re suffering from anxiety you should try visiting a museum - that’s according to a recently released study, which suggests that a museum trip can have a range of mental and physical health benefits.
The research, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, found that a visit to a museum could improve feelings of depression, ease chronic pain, and even decrease the likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia.
Published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, the study, titled Art Museums As Institutions for Human Flourishing, also found museum visits offered reductions in anxiety and depression and increases in cognitive function and empathy.
The research is made up of a compilation of more than 100 research articles and government and foundation reports. The work is part of the ‘positive psychology’ field, which studies the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive.
According to the paper, visiting a museum can help to reduce stress levels, while frequent visits helped with anxiety and lowered blood pressure. The study also says that museum visits lowered the intensity of chronic pain and increased life span.
As well as decreasing the chances of being diagnosed with dementia, the research says that people living with dementia saw mental and physical benefits as well, including more dynamic stress responses, higher cognitive function, and improvements in the symptoms of depression.
Additionally, people with severe mental health conditions were happier and more engaged following a museum visit, while older adults felt that time viewing art was rewarding.
Museums also have a social effect, with the research revealing that these institutions affect the way people interact with each other, with visitors feeling less socially isolated and subsequently able to build connections with others who shared their same interests.
“With the increasing evidence that art museum visitation is linked with flourishing outcomes, it is unsurprising that a variety of governmental agencies and other organisations are seeking to capitalise on these benefits,” said study authors Katherine Cotter and James O. Pawelski.
“The development of social prescriptions of arts engagement represents a major step in recognising the potential of art museums to contribute to individual flourishing.
“It is necessary to develop more effective ways of assessing the flourishing benefits of art museums for communities and society in general. By these means, art museums can be better understood - and advanced - as institutions for human flourishing.”
Pawelski and Cotter have already begun their next study - work which will look at the impact of digital art on human flourishing.
Museums and galleries
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