Making arts and crafts has a surprising link to improving the mental health of a person.
According to CNN, a study done by the School of Psychology and Sport Science at Anglia Ruskin University revealed that engaging in creative activities could significantly boost mental health.
Past studies found that creating art and crafting works as a therapy for people with mental health issues, but the study published in Frontiers in Public Health focused on the impact of these activities on the general public.
Dr. Helen Keyes, researcher of the study and a cognitive psychologist, told CNN, “Engaging with arts and crafts is accessible and affordable. Options such as knitting and drawing require very few tools and can be engaging and creatively fulfilling activities.”
For this study, the researchers analysed the major national survey in the UK between 2019 and 2020 to see the impact of creative activities on well-being and self-satisfaction.
Keyes said, “We kept our analysis to arts and crafts at a broad level rather than focussing on specific hobbies, as we know that people’s preferences vary and they will find the craft or creative activity that works best for them.”
Furthermore, over 37% of the respondents were involved in different arts and crafts activities, and they reported that participating in such activities gave them feelings of happiness, life satisfaction, and a sense of life being worthy.
Researchers suggested that arts and crafts are one of the easiest and yet interesting ways to improve the mental health of people.
