Mental Well-Being and Emotional Expression among Thespians and Non-Thespians: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Theatre has been considered as a medium of Emotional expression and psychological growth for a long time, however empirical data on examining its impact on mental well-being remains very limited and especially in adult population. The present study aimed to compare mental well-being and emotional expression among people who do theatre (Thespians) and people who do not do theatre (Non – Thespians). A comparative and cross-sectional research design was employed.  Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, were used to assess mental well-being while Emotional Expressivity Scale (EES) was used to measure emotional expression. It was revealed by statistical analysis that theater participants demonstrated a significantly higher level of emotional expression compared to non-participants. Although the difference in overall mental health was modest, theatre participants consistently showed higher mean scores in every measure, indicating a positive trend. These findings suggests that theatre participation might have a role in supporting mental-health and emotional expressivity, The study also highlights the further prospects of this research highlighting the potential of theatre as a psychologically enriching activity and also a need for further longitudinal, mixed method and correlational researches to better understand its impact on mental health outcomes.