Singing Away the Blues
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Singing away the Blues: the impact of group singing interventions on symptoms of postnatal depression
IRAS ID
189143
Contact name
Rosie Perkins
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NCT02526433, Clinical Trials.gov Identifier (#2)
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 11 days
Research summary
Post-natal depression (PND) is anticipated to affect 12.9% of new mothers with at least 75,000 cases per year in the UK alone. However, despite this, there is currently a worrying lack of support for new mothers, with data suggesting that 64% of healthcare trusts in the UK do not have a strategy for treating PND, and flaws in the current pharmacological and psychological treatment models. Consequently, research into promising psychosocial interventions such as music is critical to developing new paradigms for treating PND.
Singing away the Blues is an ambitious programme of research that investigates the effects of music on PND through two phases:
PHASE A uses an online questionnaire to get a cross-sectional view of the mental health of women across England in the final stages of pregnancy and the first 9 months of post birth, how much and in what ways music is used by these women, and whether there are any associations between music and mental health. The study aims to recruit 1,000 women to take the anonymous questionnaire. However, women who complete the questionnaire while still pregnant will be invited to complete three further questionnaires shortly post-birth,3 and 6 months later to gather longitudinal data to analyse change across pregnancy into post-birth (aiming for 200 of the 1,000 undertaking this repeated measurement).
PHASE B tests the effectiveness of singing interventions led by the Royal College of Music at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital as a psychosocial tool to reduce the occurrence and effects of PND. It triangulates psychological and biological data in a randomised control design to provide a comprehensive insight into the intervention’s effects in comparison to a more common psychosocial intervention for new mothers (play groups) and a control group of no psychosocial interventions. The study aims to recruit 80 women into each of the three interventions (240 total).
The study will used a mixed-method methodology comprising validated psychological scales, in-depth qualitative interviews/focus groups, observations and biomarker analysis. If results are promising, there are plans in place to scale the singing intervention to more hospitals and community settings.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
15/SS/0160
Date of REC Opinion
22 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion