Emily Chan
Engaging in arts and crafts could have a more positive impact on your mental well-being than being employed, according to a new study. People who participated in artistic activities for at least a year felt a greater sense of satisfaction than what employment could give them.
The study was inspired by the urgent need to boost public mental health, which has been in a poorer state than ever since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Previous research has shown that some crafts may be therapeutic for individuals with mental health issues. So, promoting general accessibility to artistic activities could significantly benefit public mental health.
“For the first time, our paper demonstrates that engaging in general (rather than specific) crafting and arts activities may be beneficial in improving subjective well-being, over and above one’s gender, health, age, employment status, and affluence. Importantly, we show that this pattern holds for the general (rather than clinical) population,” said Helen Keyes, the study’s lead author from Anglia Ruskin University, and colleagues.
Arts and crafts refers to activities such as drawing, painting, pottery, sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sculpture, printmaking, photography, filmmaking, calligraphy, jewelry-making, and wood carvings.
Around 20 percent of the general population in England engages in artistic activities. The arts and crafts industry contributes about $4.3 billion to the United Kingdom’s economy. By the end of 2024, it is forecast to be worth $50.91 billion globally.
For the study, the researchers observed 7,182 adults who had participated in the annual Taking Part survey conducted by the U.K.’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which recorded the country’s engagement in art, cultural, digital, and sporting activities.
Participants were asked to rate their levels of happiness, loneliness, anxiety, life satisfaction, and sense of whether life was worthwhile. Additionally, the participants were questioned about their involvement in creative activities.
The research team used their answers to measure each individual’s well-being. They also controlled for several sociodemographic factors that could affect well-being, including age, gender, health, employment status, and level of deprivation.
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