Introduction

Statement of Purpose

The hypothesis of this research was to determine whether hobbies positively impacted university students’ mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. This research applied the definition of hobby from Pressman et al.’s (2009) definition of “leisure activity” as “pleasurable activities that individuals engage in voluntarily when they are free from the demands of work or other responsibilities… includ[ing]… sports, socializing, or spending time in nature” (p. 1). Examining categories of joy and stress (Whitehead & Torossian, 2020) helped to determine the reasons that individuals saw a positive or negative mental health outcome during the Covid-19 pandemic. Research showed that certain hobbies may be more beneficial than others. Hobbies that are actively involved, like soccer, have helped maintain an overall healthier lifestyle (Ng et al., 2020). However, some more popular hobbies may have a negative effect on university students’ mental health if left unregulated (Twenge & Farley, 2020; Ali et al., 2021). Social media and excessive internet use, for example, could lead to a negative outlook on life due to factors like lack of sleep, poor self-esteem, and social comparison (Twenge & Farley, 2020).

This current study defined four main types of hobbies: physical, electronic, logical, and artistic. These hobby types determined which ones were more beneficial for maintaining an individual’s mental health than others. This study also examined the relationship between the physical act of hobbies themselves and the subcultures that allow for a deeper connection to an individual’s hobby. For example, if one enjoys cooking, they may also enjoy watching cooking shows or looking for recipes through blogs.

Research in this study was performed through an online survey with three categories of questions: demographic, lifestyle, and mental health. These categories presented an overall picture of students’ daily activities and the general circumstances that influence their mental well-being.