Help is on its Way: Exploring the Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes of a Massed Community Choir Program

ABSTRACT

Background

This paper explores the mental health and wellbeing outcomes of a massed community choir program in Australia.

Methods

This study employed a mixed methods approach. Data were collected via a survey of choir participants (N = 305), four qualitative interviews and focus groups with facilitators and participants (N = 22), and two workshops with organising staff (N = 5). Questions were derived from a co-designed program logic, and data were triangulated and analysed thematically.

Results

Participants reported feeling a sense of connectedness (psychological), but also experiencing connection (social) with their fellow singers. Psychological outcomes included the sensations of affect, arousal, and affirmation. Social outcomes included experiencing belonging, inclusion, and sharing. These positive psycho-social experiences promoted positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes in the large group of participating singers.

Conclusions

This paper addresses gaps in our understanding about the mental health and wellbeing outcomes fostered by community choirs at scale.

KEYWORDS:

• Singing
• massed choirs
• mental health
• psycho-social wellbeing
• mixed and arts-based methods
• evaluation

Acknowledgments

This research project was a collaboration between Griffith University and the Black Dog Institute. We would like to thank QMF for the invitation and support to do this research, and all the creative team and participants for their generous contributions to the content of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. We use the term massed choir to refer to non-permanent choirs formed through specific musical initiatives, which include large numbers of participants. These are generally brought together from multiple smaller choirs and/or other individuals.

2. The QMF event organisers did not gather data on the age range of event participants, so it has not been included here.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the QMF