Helping people to access affordable opportunities for creativity could be a major boost to public mental health, researchers suggest.
Arts and crafts can be as good for your mental health as having a job, new research suggests.
According to the findings, carrying out creative activities can be as good for life satisfaction as working.
Creativity had as great an influence on people’s wellbeing and happiness such as factors like age and health, the study found.
Scientists from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) suggest that helping people to access affordable opportunities for creativity could be a major boost to public mental health.
Dr Helen Keyes, head of the school of psychology and sports science at ARU, said: “Crafting and other artistic activities showed a meaningful effect in predicting people’s sense that their life is worthwhile.
“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.
“Engaging in these activities is linked with a greater sense that life is worthwhile, increased life satisfaction and happiness.
“The wellbeing 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 wellbeing above and beyond these other aspects of your life.”
The scientists analysed a sample of 7,182 people from the annual Taking Part survey conducted by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, to investigate the impact of taking part in creative activities like sewing or painting.
People were asked to rate their happiness, anxiety, and life satisfaction, and to give their impression of whether life is worthwhile.
When asked about doing crafts, 37.4% said they had taken part in at least one craft activity over the last twelve months.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, found that people who took part in arts and crafts reported higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction.
They also had a stronger sense that life is worthwhile.
The boost to people’s sense that life is worthwhile was as significant as being in employment.
The scientists took into account factors that are already known to affect the experience of wellbeing, like gender, age, health, employment status, and level of deprivation.
For instance, poorer health, unemployment, and higher levels of deprivation have all been linked to lower wellbeing.
