Happy Hookers: findings from an international study exploring the effects of crochet on wellbeing

Aims: With rising rates of mental health disorders being reported globally, it is imperative that we investigate economical and accessible ways to increase relaxation and reduce stress. While there is a plethora of anecdotal evidence as to the positive effects of domestic crafts on mental wellbeing, there is little empirical research in this area. As such, we aimed to explore perceived links between crochet and wellbeing. Methods: An online survey was developed and piloted, based on an existing tool that explored knitting and wellbeing. The final survey was promoted through social media, over a 6-week period, resulting in valid responses from 8391 individuals. Results: Most respondents were female (99.1%), aged between 41 and 60 years (49.5%) and living in 87 different countries. Many respondents reported crocheting for between 1 and 5 years (42.6%). The three most frequent reasons reported for crocheting were: to be creative (82.1%), to relax (78.5%) and for a sense of accomplishment (75.2%). Respondents reported that crochet made them feel calmer (89.5%), happier (82%) and more useful (74.7%). There was a significant improvement in reported scores for mood before crocheting (M = 4.19, SD = 1.07) and mood after crocheting (M = 5.78, SD = 0.82); z = −69.86, p