Abstract
<jats:p>Museums are becoming increasingly engaged in activities aimed at promoting health and well-being. Although interest in the impact of museums on human well-being is growing rapidly, there remains a lack of empirical research in this area.Objective. To investigate changes in visitors’ psychological states following the MO Museum exhibition “From Within”, focusing on alterations in thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations.Material and methods. An anonymous survey was conducted among exhibition visitors using an author-developed questionnaire containing closed and open-ended questions. The questionnaire collected demographic data, information on attendance context, and self-assessed well-being on a 10-point scale before and after the visit, as well as perceived changes in physical state, thoughts, and emotions. Data were collected via Google Forms, analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results were compared with findings from scientific articles indexed in PubMed and Google Scholar.Results. The survey included 2,185 visitors to the MO Museum’s exhibition “From Within”. Most participants were aged 16–36 years (58.39%) and held a university degree (57.89%), with women comprising 58.95% of the sample. After visiting the exhibition, most respondents reported improved well-being, with the average self-reported score increasing from 7.24 to 8.65. The greatest improvement was observed among participants aged 36–65 years. More than half of the respondents (56.28%) indicated that their bodies felt more relaxed after the exhibition, with the most common physical changes reported in the head and neck area (41.85%). Furthermore, most respondents reported feeling relaxed and calm after the exhibition, noting that the experience encouraged reflection and self-awareness. A smaller proportion also reported experiencing difficult emotions such as confusion and sadness. Overall, “thoughts” (44.85%) and “feelings and emotions” (42.62%) were the most affected areas, suggesting that psychological art experiences can influence both the emotional and cognitive dimensions of mental well-being.Conclusions. The study indicates a correlation between visiting a psychologically themed art exhibition and changes in visitors’ well-being. The most commonly reported outcomes were feelings of relaxation and calmness; however, many participants also described experiencing deeper self-reflection, which, for a smaller proportion of visitors, was accompanied by feelings of confusion and sadness.</jats:p>