Culture is increasingly being used to treat mental health issues in Europe. Here's how
Two decades’ worth of research and a pandemic have led to a boom in programmes using culture for its health benefits.A growing number of initiatives across Europe are using access to the arts as a tool to improve health and well-being alongside classic medical treatment. In the Danish town of Silkeborg, a group of new mothers who suffered from postpartum depression reported feeling closer to their newborns, calmer and more optimistic after taking part in weekly singing sessions designed to improve their mental health.
Similar results were also observed in groups also participating in the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Music for Motherhood project in four other cities in Italy and Romania.
Featured Project
![MG 8935 low res](https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/MG_8935-low-res_2024-01-22-181239_scdi.jpg?w=480&h=320&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019955&s=4cf555f0920ed5a2f51e40ff39e6e085 480w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/MG_8935-low-res_2024-01-22-181239_scdi.jpg?w=720&h=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019955&s=98a2ea01bc100337a35761b981d6e637 720w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/MG_8935-low-res_2024-01-22-181239_scdi.jpg?w=960&h=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019955&s=8588307d9a591e949c970ac388d55fab 960w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/MG_8935-low-res_2024-01-22-181239_scdi.jpg?w=1280&h=853&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019955&s=dc9bbc967f9a9380a32e920e0bfbec72 1280w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/MG_8935-low-res_2024-01-22-181239_scdi.jpg?w=1600&h=1067&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019955&s=62014ee504a2868461b2c9909b3a1b48 1600w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/MG_8935-low-res_2024-01-22-181239_scdi.jpg?w=1743.3693579148&h=1162&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019955&s=65d8fe4443020ddf685f99e007334142 1743w)
Event
Music & Motherhood Meeting
WHO Europe and the Lab co-organized this full-day meeting at UN City in Copenhagen, highlighting a multi-country case study using music and singing to support new mothers experiencing postnatal depression.
![Jameel Arts Health Lab 4](https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Headers/Jameel-Arts-Health-Lab-4.jpg?w=480&h=320&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019916&s=eabb0b2e31d114320e50a23629e31329 480w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Headers/Jameel-Arts-Health-Lab-4.jpg?w=720&h=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019916&s=996bfd39d5d2fa0dc4a659897896b957 720w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Headers/Jameel-Arts-Health-Lab-4.jpg?w=960&h=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019916&s=26df083cf6a1d8eb555d96620621e9e6 960w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Headers/Jameel-Arts-Health-Lab-4.jpg?w=1280&h=853&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019916&s=e4965a2ae30b70432481362003f70a89 1280w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Headers/Jameel-Arts-Health-Lab-4.jpg?w=1600&h=1067&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019916&s=f03c66027d268f20ebc462de1b30ab71 1600w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Headers/Jameel-Arts-Health-Lab-4.jpg?w=1736&h=1157.0881355932&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019916&s=0d429b5ac09935e517886c832bedbd56 1736w)
Case Study
Music and Motherhood
A WHO-led implementation study built around group singing sessions specifically designed for mothers who experience postpartum depression (PPD). The project was conducted in 3 WHO/Europe Member States; Denmark, Italy and Romania; to determine the feasibility of implementing the intervention in different cultural contexts.
![Music and Motherhood UCL](https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/OUTREACH/Events/Music-and-Motherhood-UCL.png?w=480&h=320&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019996&s=32cac48df9b959db5e1b7d2151a180ef 480w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/OUTREACH/Events/Music-and-Motherhood-UCL.png?w=720&h=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019996&s=9ede57a05c4c928747b56552ab39c34d 720w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/OUTREACH/Events/Music-and-Motherhood-UCL.png?w=960&h=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019996&s=20e876cdc279c98353f43fcd70e511e9 960w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/OUTREACH/Events/Music-and-Motherhood-UCL.png?w=1280&h=853&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019996&s=84eda58cdda3b8d8d3e58bb8a5e61235 1280w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/OUTREACH/Events/Music-and-Motherhood-UCL.png?w=1600&h=1067&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019996&s=17aba022ed5d9c950290fb38e4bcf9b3 1600w, https://crooked-antechinus.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/OUTREACH/Events/Music-and-Motherhood-UCL.png?w=2360&h=1573&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1720019996&s=bb12100ff5d9b934706dc42e5a594ced 2360w)
Research Project
Music and Motherhood
A project exploring cultural considerations for arts and health interventions. In particular, using group singing for postpartum depression, which has been successful in the UK, in new contexts in Denmark, Italy, and Romania.
Lead Researchers
Katey Warran, Calum Smith
Status
Completed
Lead institutions
UCL, WHO Europe
Type
Implementation study