Researchers have found that singing groups could have positive effects reducing anxiety and depression. The research is the University East Anglia in the UK, collaboration with a community singing group called Sing Your Heart Out. A research team conducted the study to examine how singing other people affects mental health. Researchers followed a group participants who attended free weekly singing workshops six months. They discovered that singing groups was an essential part helping people recover mental illness. In addition, it helped people feel valued, enhanced their mood and increased their confidence, social skills and feeling well-being.
Lead researcher, professor Tom Shakespeare, said: "We found that singing as part a group contributes to people's recovery mental health problems." He added that: "All the participants we spoke to reported positive effects their mental health as a direct result taking part the singing workshops. For some, it represented one component a wider programme of support. For others, it stood out as key to their recovery or maintenance health." Professor Shakespeare explained: "We heard the participants calling the initiative a life saver and that it saved their sanity." He said: "The key thing everyone was that the Sing Your Heart Out model induced fun and happiness."
