Coping with Chronic Illness and Disability through Creative Needlecraft

Abstract

Chronic illness and impairment commonly restrict the individual's access to work and leisure activities. Furthermore, if increasingly dependent upon family care, the individual may experience loss of valued roles and self-esteem. The present study enquired into the role of a creative leisure pursuit in long-term coping with illness and disability. The qualitative study examined the written narratives of 35 women, aged 18 to 87 years. All had acquired a disability or a chronic illness in adulthood and shared needlecraft as a common leisure pursuit. In these accounts, the women described the circumstances in which needlecraft had been adopted as a leisure pursuit and the personal benefits experienced. The accounts showed that most of the women had taken up this activity in adulthood to cope with the crisis of illness. Needlecraft activities were commonly viewed as providing a means of managing pain and unstructured time, as well as facilitating self-esteem and reciprocal social roles. The women's accounts suggest that creative activity may be helpful for patients learning to cope with chronic conditions.