How Participatory Music Engagement Supports Mental Well-being: A Meta-Ethnography

Abstract

Participatory music engagement has the capacity to support well-being. Yet, there is little research that has scrutinized the processes through which music has an effect. In this meta-ethnography [PROSPERO CRD42019130164], we conducted a systematic search of 19 electronic databases and a critical appraisal to identify 46 qualitative studies reporting on participants’ subjective views of how participatory music engagement supports their mental well-being. Synthesis of first-order and second-order interpretations using thematic coding resulted in four third-order pathways that account for how participatory music engagement supports mental well-being: managing and expressing emotions, facilitating self-development, providing respite, and facilitating connections. Our interpretation suggests that people benefit from participatory music engagement by engaging with specific and multiple processes that meet their individual needs and circumstances. These findings inform research directions within the field of music and well-being, as well as guiding the development and delivery of future music interventions.

Art for Ages: The Effects of Group Music Making on the Wellbeing of Nursing Home Residents

“…In some cases, they waited the whole week for the session, and by attending it they strengthened links to their memories and identities. Both listening to and making music improved mood and stimulated attention and imagination, in agreement with other studies (Hays and Minichiello, 2005;Laukka, 2006;Lally, 2009;Costa et al, 2018a,b) that also show that music is often considered beneficial to wellbeing (Perkins et al, 2020). In addition, the program elicited positive emotions and represented a pleasant novelty because it offered the opportunity to listen closely to high quality live musical performances and to approach music making supported by and interacting with skilled musicians.…”

“…The results are aligned with those of other studies (Hays and Minichiello, 2005;Creech et al, 2014;Perkins and Williamon, 2014;Yap et al, 2017) and are novel as they reflect the context of nursing homes, as participants reported also feelings of isolation, doubts about their own cognitive abilities, and a lack of novelty and engagement. The overall picture emerging confirms the idea that the benefits perceived from the engagement with music derive from complex processes, which include diverse dimensions largely influenced by idiosyncratic needs and circumstances (Perkins et al, 2020). In this case, as illustrated in Figure 1, the results suggest that this program has had mainly positive effects as it facilitated access to something considered important, offering learning opportunities and promoting interpersonal relationships in a context where novelty and engagement are sometimes missing.…”

“…Further research should be carried out that includes people with cognitive impairments associated with aging, such as dementia. In order to overcome the difficulties implied by cognitive impairments, ethnographic-informed approaches seem particularly promising (Smilde et al, 2014;Toye et al, 2014;Perkins et al, 2020), and future research may involve nursing home staff in the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. Fourthly, the nursing homes involved in this research were in close geographical proximity (located within and overseen by the same Swiss cantonal institution) and regularly work in close partnership.…”

Arts engagement trends in the United Kingdom and their mental and social wellbeing implications: HEartS Survey

“…Evidence on the role of arts and cultural engagement in promoting health and wellbeing is ever growing [12,21]. The relationship between arts engagement and mental health-in particular, wellbeing and depression-has been well-rehearsed in large-scale epidemiological data [2][3][4]20], studies on individual arts activities [22][23][24], and literature reviews [e.g., [25][26][27][28][29]. Despite the suggested importance of the connection between arts engagement and social outcomes specifically, and indications that the arts may play a role in preventing or alleviating loneliness and boosting social connectedness and social wellbeing [30][31][32][33], the arts have been less represented in large-scale epidemiological cohorts (compared with, for example, mental and physical health outcomes) and have been less frequently documented in empirical research.…”

Investigating Everyday Musical Interaction During COVID-19: An Experimental Procedure for Exploring Collaborative Playlist Engagement

“…Long-lasting detriment to public mental health is a reported consequence of critical importance (Brooks et al, 2020 ; Gonçalves et al, 2020 ). In the past decade, research has shown that various forms of musical engagement with others can positively impact on an individual's socioemotional well-being; this has been reported as an outcome of both specific interventions and other forms of participatory music-making (Hallam, 2010 ; Hallam et al, 2014 ; Wilson and MacDonald, 2019 ; Perkins et al, 2020 ) as well as of particular familial and cultural contexts on listening behavior (Packer and Ballantyne, 2011 ; Boer and Abubakar, 2014 ). More recently, qualitative research on group musical engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic has suggested that involvement in online musical interaction in educational and improvisational settings may positively impact on individuals' psychological well-being and communities' connectedness (de Bruin, 2021 ; MacDonald et al, 2021 ).…”