Emily Chan
Overall, 37.4 percent of respondents had taken part in at least one craft activity over the past year. The analysis revealed that the group who engaged in a craft activity had higher scores in happiness and life satisfaction. The increase was just as significant as from being in employment.
The researchers noted that they did not observe any drops in loneliness because most arts and crafts are solitary activities. Further research is needed to evaluate the social aspects of arts and crafts.
“Higher well-being predicts health and longevity, with some evidence pointing to positive effects on those with certain illnesses,” concluded the researchers.
“Engagement with crafting and creating arts is related to three of the four subjective well-being measures assessed in this study. So, while the effects may be small, the contribution to well-being as measured by life satisfaction, happiness, and life being worthwhile may provide a meaningful influence across society as a whole.”
