Published 22 March 2024 at 12.54
Domestic. Knitting is good for people living with mental illness. This is confirmed by a study from Gothenburg University in which needlework is described as an opportunity to find peace and create structure in everyday life.
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The study, published in Journal of Occupational Science, examines how people living with mental illness themselves express what knitting means to their health, in an internet forum where they discuss their hobby with other people who knit.
A total of 600 posts were collected from the international internet forum Ravelry. The posts were analyzed using established scientific methods for qualitative content analysis.
The results show three clear traces of how knitting supports better health. Needlework is perceived to provide an opportunity to unwind in everyday life. The knitting hobby also offers an identity as a knitter and an undemanding social context. In addition, the activity can create a structure in everyday life that the people feel good about.
Generally, these people perceived their knitting as a highly valued occupation, which promotes health in both the short and long term. Some of the knitters also experienced a difference in their thinking, where their thoughts became clearer and more manageable when knitting.
In recent years, interest in knitting has increased, and the trend seems to be continuing. As late as 2022, the home-knitted garment was named this year's Christmas present.