This is a guest post by Kathryn Vercillo, author of Crochet Saved My Life and blogger at Crochet Concupiscence. She has created a new survey to explore the healing aspects of crochet.

Crochet heals people. Studies have shown that the health benefits of crochet include relief from depression, prevention of age-related memory loss and stress reduction. As crocheters, we know that the health benefits extend far beyond this as well. We crochet for many reasons, not the least of which is because it is something that makes us feel good when we do it.

In 2012, I published a book called Crochet Saved My Life, in which I shared the many different ways that crochet help people. I related my own story of crocheting to heal from chronic depression and associated anxiety. I interviewed two dozen other women who shared how crochet helped them cope with symptoms of mental and physical illnesses. The anecdotal evidence from those stories, and from the many stories I received after the book was released, shows that crochet definitely helps people.

In researching that book, I looked at the available studies that existed about crochet health. There were a few, and it was great to see that, but there wasn’t nearly as much information as I wanted to see. The studies that did exist lumped crochet together with other crafts or with occupational therapy in general. So while it was great that they showed that crafting heals, the studies didn’t go into depth about how crochet heals.

I have created a new study to take the existing research further. I have put together a 27 question survey asking people to share how crochet helps them with illness as well as with general quality of life. This survey looks specifically at the craft of crochet and goes beyond asking “if” it heals to looking at “how” it heals. The results will be analyzed and published with the goal of providing information to healers, institutions and individuals supporting crochet health.

Please take this survey now. And share it widely! More information is available here.

Kathryn Vercillo, Crochet Concupscience