Community Singing: What Does That Have to Do With Health?

Journal

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health

Year

2012

Abstract

This editorial discusses the interrelationship between music and health. Arts and health is an emerging multidisciplinary area of research, policy, and practice. It includes a variety of ways in which the arts contribute to health, well being and health care practice across a range of contexts. The value of the arts in addressing significant social issues and improving the lives across the whole of the lifespan has been increasingly recognized, and particularly the value of live music and musical participation for people with mental illness. Singing is an activity that has been shown to carry benefits for health and well-being across the lifespan and with people of diverse social backgrounds and health status. Extant Australian and international research shows that participatory community singing is a powerful means to enhance participation, social engagement, and interpersonal interaction with others and brings a wide range of benefits to participants for social, emotional, mental, and spiritual involvement. Participatory community singing activities may impact on mental health through both enhancement of positive emotional states and via a sense of resilience development and social connectedness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Music and Health Institute Terms

Emotional Functioning; Engagement Level; Mental Health; Quality of Life; Recreative Music Methods; Resilience; Singing a Song; Wellness and Well-Being

Indexed Terms

community singing; health behavior; well being; emotional states; Singing; Communities

Study Type

Editorial, Opinions, Position Papers

PubMed ID

2013-28234-001

Document Type

Article

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