Anxiety and compassion fatigue are common experiences for nurses. Join Clinical Psychologists Dr Mia Hobbs and Dr Paula Redmond as we discuss two research papers investigating the impact of knitting on mental health for nurses.
The research studies both describe the introduction of knitting groups with the aim of supporting nurses’ mental health. We discuss the outcomes, methodological strengths and weaknesses and broader implications, including the challenges of implementing interventions like this in healthcare settings.
Paper 1 relates to using knitting to reduce compassion fatigue in oncology nurses: Anderson LW, Gustavson CU. The Impact of a Knitting Intervention on Compassion Fatigue in Oncology Nurses. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2016 Feb;20(1):102-4. doi: 10.1188/16.CJON.102-104. PMID: 26800415.
Paper 2 relates to using knitting to reduce anxiety in nursing students: Schlamb, C., Meehan, C., & Nair, J. (2025). Therapeutic knitting as a strategy to reduce anxiety in nursing students. Nursing Times, 121(4), 32–35.
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