Creative and expressive practices as coping strategies among working women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic intensified stress among working women in Malaysia as they managed overlapping professional, domestic, emotional, and financial pressures. This study explored how working women experienced pandemic-related stress and how they used expressive arts practices as part of their coping efforts. Methods Guided by a qualitative interpretivist approach, the study involved semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 31 working women in Malaysia aged 21 to 60 who remained employed during the pandemic and engaged in expressive activities such as drawing, painting, dance, clay work, and writing. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results The findings showed that participants experienced stress through interconnected challenges, including mental and emotional turbulence, difficulties with work-life integration, financial insecurity, and job uncertainty. Participants described expressive arts practices as helpful for non-verbal emotional expression, self-exploration, physical and mental relief, positive emotions, and psychological stabilization. Discussion Expressive arts practices were generally self-initiated and adapted to participants' personal routines and emotional needs rather than delivered as formal therapist-led interventions. The study suggests that creative and expressive practices may serve as accessible coping resources for working women during crisis periods and highlights the importance of recognizing gendered stress experiences in workplace and mental health support initiatives.