Does Handicraft Provide Better Mental Health?

Research on the impact of handicraft on mental health has increased in recent decades. In parallel, mental symptoms, such as anxiety, worry, tension and stress, has increased both in Sweden and internationally in recent decades. The present study aimed to describe the frequency and experience of handicraft among Swedish female handicrafters and to study the associations between these two factors of handicraft and the mental health outcomes: anxiety, worry, tension and stress while controlling for background factors. The study is cross-sectional, based on an online survey, conducted in a convenience sample of 6,756 women in Sweden who define themselves as handicrafters. The result shows that handicrafters who have a high frequency of- or a long experience of handicraft report better mental health in comparison with those who report less activity or experience. Consistent with the results of previous studies, the findings here indicate that individuals who have long experience of or engage in extensive handicraft experience positive effects on their mental health. However, several other factors, such as age, financial security, occupation, and everyday activities, are more important for mental health than handicraft.