These two online events aim to bring together the wide community of people working in music and parental mental wellbeing, with a view to building a network in this field. This includes grass-roots organisations and charities, music and health practitioners, people with lived experience, policymakers, and researchers in music and health. 

The events will include short presentations showcasing current work and projects followed by group discussions along key themes and areas of interest. Opportunities and challenges in the field will be key areas for discussion. 

The events are timely because factors affecting parents’ mental health require our urgent attention, particularly following an uptick in mental ill-health during COVID-19. For example, in the UK up to one in eight women experience postnatal depression (PND) and many more experience loneliness and isolation. While treatments are available for illnesses such as PND, alternatives are urgently needed. People may be concerned about taking medication, and long waiting lists can mean a lack of access to psychological therapies. Solutions for loneliness are also difficult to come by, with financial, social, practical, or health barriers, including COVID-19, preventing parents from accessing in-person care.  

Previous and current research into music to support parents’ mental wellbeing shows great promise. For example, the Music and Motherhood research led here at the RCM showed that group singing interventions can speed up recovery from PND as well as support social connections and perceived mother-baby closeness.  

We are keen to bring research and practice together through these events to build on the existing evidence-base and to raise the profile of music to help and support parental mental wellbeing. We warmly invite you to join us.  

Event details 

Event 1: Wednesday 12 January 2022 (1400-1700 GMT, via Zoom). Click here for further details.
Event 2: Tuesday 24 May 2022 (1200-1430 BST, via Zoom). Click here for further details.

Objectives:  

1. To invite collaboration, discussion, and debate in the field of music and parental mental wellbeing, helping to drive the field forward.
2. To share the work of event attendees, expanding the reach and potential impact of developments in the field. Event 1 will include some short presentations on work in this area at the RCM and with local collaborators (more information to follow) followed by discussions, at which all attendees will be invited to briefly introduce their work. Event 2 will provide more formal opportunities for all attendees to share their work, should they wish to.
3. To explore the potential for collaborative work and research including the co-design of projects and joint funding applications. In particular, to build a network bringing practice and research together including individual specialists, organisations, and researchers working in music and parental mental health. 

Team

Rosie Perkins, Royal College of Music
Debi Graham, Royal College of Music 

For further information, please contact: debi.graham@rcm.ac.uk  

Register for the event here.