About the initiative
Although there are increasing clinical evidence for the effectiveness of using targeted singing groups to reduce symptoms of postpartum depression, little work has been done to test the translatability of this kind of intervention in different linguistic and cultural contexts.
The goal of this pilot project was to explore how Music and Motherhood, a clinically effective group singing intervention for new mums in the UK, needs to be adapted to meet local needs, investigating the feasibility of implementation and its impact on the mental health and well-being of participants in Romania and Denmark. In Cluj-Napoca, Romania the research project involved two groups of a total number of 15 new Romanian and Hungarian speaking mothers experiencing postpartum depression symptoms, in a 10-week group singing intervention facilitated by professional singing leaders.
The WHO Music and Motherhood protocol is based on research from the Centre for Performance Science and informed by the Breathe Melodies for Mums delivery model run by Breathe Arts Health Research. The Music and Motherhood implementation study in Romania has been funded by the Nordic Council Fund. In this project, Cluj Cultural Centre worked together with the Central Denmark Region under the supervision of the WHO Regional Office in Europe.
We organized an open call, inviting new mothers dealing with anxiety and overwhelming emotions to join us for a group singing intervention dedicated to their emotional and mental well-being. The mothers were asked to submit an application form describing their experience after giving birth, from different perspectives. The open call was published on the official website of Cluj Cultural Centre, in both Romanian and Hungarian.
The open call was launched in April 2022, and the singing intervention took place between June and August 2022, over the course of 10 weeks.
The project was structured in two different groups: one led by Bertóti Johanna and addressed to Hungarian-speaking mothers, and the other led by Alexandra Făgărășan, dedicated to Romanian-speaking mothers. For 10 weeks, the groups met during weekly one-hour singing sessions, with the mothers being able to connect with each other and share their personal experiences with motherhood.
Research results
Our research results suggest that the singing group intervention has significantly benefited the participating mothers. The scores for postnatal depression (measured on the EPDS – Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) decreased and and the scores indicating well-being (WHO-5 – Well-Being Index) and perceived social support (MSPSS -Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) have increased among the women in our pilot intervention. The changes in scores were large enough to meet statistical significance.
The project therefore is able to provide valuable insights for national and local public health bodies regarding how to implement arts and health interventions. It also contributes to current and future research and implementation efforts seeking to build on the clinical evidence base of singing for postnatal depression in different countries.
About the music leads
Alexandra Făgărășan
Alexandra Făgărășan is a pianist and music teacher. Alexandra carries out a sustained activity with singing students, and is currently writing a paper on how teenagers who face anxiety problems can be better guided when singing in front of an audience. A former chorister herself, Alexandra also coordinated a song program with children in a foster care center. When participating in the organization of cultural events, she brings a cheerful, rigorous and experienced approach.
Johanna Bertóti
Johanna Bertóti is a singer and composer, and has performed more than 150 shows in more than 10 years of activity, currently having in her repertoire four shows for children and two programs for teenagers and adults. Playwright, translator and poet, she writes lyrics and songs and serves as musical director for children’s shows. In her work, Johanna places great emphasis on interactive experiences and believes that the liberating power of music is an irreplaceable opportunity.
To me, the singing hour dedicated to moms and babies quickly became the most anticipated time of the week. It was a much needed healing experience, and I really felt better throughout the 10 weeks, and I think this happened thanks to the singing sessions as well. Participant mother, RO I didn’t expect anything, I was just happy that us, mothers, can come and have this space to talk to each other, because before and after singing we could do that. It felt very interesting to notice that this is the only event or club really centered around mothers. I will miss it a lot. (Participant mother, HU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bvu-p7lmBE)
The pilot project organized by the Cluj Cultural Centre was initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO Europe) and the Nordic Fund for Culture, and it was carried out within the CultureForHealth project, co-financed by the European Commission, in partnership with: Culture Action Europe, Trans Europe Halles, Central Denmark Region, University College London, The Northern Dimension Partnership for Culture, and Društvo Association.
