Creative activities boost mental health, study finds
Engaging in creative activities such as arts and crafts can significantly enhance mental well-being, a new study has found. These activities provide meaningful spaces for expression and achievement, contributing to an overall boost in mental health. The impact of these creative pursuits is reportedly as beneficial as having a job, according to the research findings.
Crafting provides satisfaction and purpose, elderly woman finds
An elderly woman finds satisfaction and purpose in crafting activities such as knitting, coloring, scratch art, and gem art. She creates knit blankets, scarves, and ponchos with carefully selected color schemes and patterns from wool yarn. These handmade items are donated to children's hospitals and foster homes. The woman's creative endeavors are reportedly more fulfilling than work.
Artistic activities reduce stress hormone levels
Creating art has been found to reduce levels of cortisol, the body's stress hormone, according to past research. This finding supports the belief that engaging in creative activities is beneficial for health. Dr. Helen Keyes, cognitive psychologist and head of the school of psychology and sport science at Anglia Ruskin University, stated via email that "engaging with arts and crafts is accessible and affordable."
New study explores art's impact on general population
Dr. Helen Keyes and her team have conducted a new study that explores the impact of creative activities on the general population's well-being. Previous studies have primarily focused on people with diagnosed mental health conditions, leaving the general population understudied. The recent study, published in Frontiers in Public Health, aims to fill this research gap by investigating how arts and crafts contribute to everyday life satisfaction and potentially reduce loneliness outcomes.
Study utilizes UK national survey data for analysis
The research team used data from a major national survey conducted in the UK between 2019-2020 to examine the impact of creative activities on life satisfaction. The study controlled for variables known to affect well-being such as gender, age group, health, employment status, and deprivation. The researchers analyzed a sample of 7,182 participants aged 16 and over from the annual Taking Part survey conducted by the UK's Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.
Creative activities positively correlated with life satisfaction
More than 37% of survey respondents reported participating in at least one craft activity over the past year. The study found that participants' reported happiness, life satisfaction, and sense of lives being worthwhile were positively correlated to participating in arts and crafts. However, the study did not find a correlation between arts and crafts participation and decreased anxiety or loneliness, indicating a need for further research.
Arts and crafts could improve public health, researchers suggest
The researchers suggest that arts and crafts could have a positive impact on public health. Dr. Helen Keyes suggested that governments and national health services might explore funding and promoting crafting, or even socially prescribing these activities for at-risk populations, as part of a broader strategy for promoting and preventing mental health and wellbeing. She added that engaging with crafting is relatively easy to introduce into one's life.
