A new study highlights that engaging in arts and crafts can boost mental health and well-being significantly, likening its effects to those experienced from employment. The findings suggest an affordable and accessible way to enhance public mental health.
Could indulging in creative activities like arts and crafts be the key to improving mental health? According to a new study published in Frontiers in Public Health, engaging in these activities could provide a substantial boost to overall well-being, offering benefits comparable to those gained from employment.
“Crafting and other artistic activities showed a meaningful effect in predicting people’s sense that their life is worthwhile,” Helen Keyes, head of the School of Psychology and Sport Science at Anglia Ruskin University and the study’s lead author, said in a news release. “Indeed, the impact of crafting was bigger than the impact of being in employment. Not only does crafting give us a sense of achievement, it is also a meaningful route to self-expression. This is not always the case with employment.”
A Stitch in Time
The impetus for this study comes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a global surge in mental health issues. As societies grapple with increasing loneliness and declining mental health, any activity that can offer a well-being boost is immensely valuable.
Specific craft activities have already been shown to be therapeutic for individuals with mental health conditions.
This new research offers promising evidence that arts and crafts can also benefit those without diagnosed conditions, thus highlighting the significance of making artistic activities more accessible to the public.
Painting a Picture
The scientists analyzed data from 7,182 participants in the annual Taking Part survey by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This survey allowed them to evaluate the broader impact of creative arts on mental health outside of a controlled clinical setting.
Variables like gender, age group, health, employment status and level of deprivation were controlled for to ensure the findings accurately reflected the impact of arts and crafts on well-being. Participants were asked to assess their levels of happiness, life satisfaction and anxiety while also considering whether they felt their life was worthwhile and how often they experienced loneliness. Notably, 37.4% of respondents reported engaging in at least one craft activity in the past year.
The findings were remarkable. Those who participated in arts and crafts reported higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction, along with a stronger sense that life is worthwhile. This boost in the sense of life being worthwhile was comparable to the positive effects of employment.
However, the study did not find a significant correlation between arts and crafts and reduced loneliness, possibly because many craft activities are solitary pursuits.
“Engaging in these activities is linked with a greater sense that life is worthwhile, increased life satisfaction and happiness,” added Keyes. “The well-being effects were present even after we accounted for things like employment status and level of deprivation. It seems that crafting can contribute positively to your well-being above and beyond these other aspects of your life.”
Looking Ahead
While the study underscores the potential of arts and crafts to enhance mental health, Keyes acknowledged that more research is needed to establish causation conclusively.
“We can’t know for certain whether crafting is directly causing this increase in well-being,” she said. “The next step would be to carry out an experimental study where we measure people’s well-being before and after significant periods of crafting.”
Given that these activities can positively influence well-being similarly to sociodemographic factors — which are much harder to change — there is a significant opportunity to leverage these findings for public health benefits. Keyes suggests that governments and national health services might consider funding and promoting crafting activities or even socially prescribing them for at-risk populations.
“There is certainly something immensely satisfying about seeing the results of your work appear before your eyes,” added Keyes, noting her personal enjoyment of DIY activities like painting and decorating. “It feels great to focus on one task and engage your mind creatively.”
The study’s findings offer hope that creative activities could play a vital role in improving mental health, providing an accessible and enjoyable way for people to enhance their well-being.