Using community singing as a culturally appropriate approach to prevent depression in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

Abstract

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals continue to experience greater levels of depression than the general Australian population. This investigation examined the health benefits of a community-based singing activity intervention on depression among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Methods: From 2010-2011, 45 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, from the State of Queensland, Australia, were recruited through five communities to participate in a one-year community singing program. Participants completed a survey, in the pre-and post-intervention phases of the study, which measured depression and singing related quality of life. Results: Improvements in quality of life were observed for both male and female participants with depression of all age groups in the community singing program. Male and female participants' improvements included all aspects of the health related spectrum including relaxation and stress reduction, improved physical health, release negative feelings and emotion, improved general wellbeing and quality of life, positive attitude to life, greater enjoyment and happy feeling and enhanced purpose of life. Conclusions: The participative community singing program was successful in improving wellbeing for Aboriginal adults of all ages and genders with depression. Keywords: Health, community, singing, depression, quality of life