Overview of Singing for Health Research*

General wellbeing / mental health / immune function

  • Taking part in group singing is associated with enhanced well-being, improved quality of life, ability to cope and self-awareness (Daykin et al, 2018)

  • Singing can promote the reduction of stress hormone (cortisol) (Bongard et al, 2004; Fancourt et al, 2016)

  • Group singing has been shown to regulate breathing and heart rate, calming the nervous system (Vikhoff et al, 2013)

  • Immune function can be improved through singing, as indicated by reduction in cortisol and increased cytokines in cancer patients and their families (Fancourt et al, 2015)

  • Taking part in arts activities has significant impact on reducing loneliness and even prolonging life (Fancourt et al, 2019)

  • Sharing music with others served an evolutionary purpose of holding people together (Schafer et al, 2013)

  • Making music builds empathy, trust and social bonding (Levitin, 2016)

  • Singing with a group can be a spiritual experience and one of transcendence and connection (Camlin et al, 2020)

  • Social vocalisations can produce oxytocin (Seltzer et al, 2010)

  • Singing or Chanting, across cultures, brings people together so that “feelings in common are expressed through actions in common” (Durkham, 1995 p.390)

  • Singing can have an ice breaking effect (Dunbar et al, 2015)

  • Taking part in arts activities can promote all aspects of well-being (Fancourt et al, 2020) including hedonic well-being (Kahneman et al, 1999) and eudaimonic well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2001)

General physical health

  • There is a strong relationship between psychological and physical improvements as a result of group/choral singing among people with or without chronic illnesses (Campbell et al, 2021)

  • Better nutrition and less body fat in singers (controlled study with 100 singers) Wiech et al, 2020 JOV (in press)

Respiratory health​

  • Managing breathlessness and symptoms of chronic lung diseases (such as COPD) (Clift et al, 2013; Lewis et al, 2016; Amadi et al, 2015; Bott et al, 2016)

  • The encouragement of deeper breathing and extension of exhalation helps to improve lung function and reduce feelings of anxiety, often linked with lung disease (Baldwin et al, 2006).

  • Lengthening the exhalation, slow and diaphragmatic breathing increases Parasympathetic Nervous System, measured by blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) (Perciavalle et al, 2017; Tavares et al, 2017)

  • Taking part in singing (standing up) induced responses that were consistent with moderate intensity (physical) activity (comparing singing for lung health to treadmill walking) (Philip et al, 2020)

 Dementia​

  • Singing for people with Dementia has shown improvements in general feelings of well-being as well as stimulating memory responses and promoting sense of belonging and social bonding (Osman et al, 2016).

  • Songs can stimulate memories, induce feelings of nostalgia and provoke emotional responses (Buchanan, 2007)

  • Improvements in cognition (Brancatisano et al, 2019; Osman et al, 2016)

  • Improvements in verbal fluency (Brancatisano et al, 2019)

  • Mood enhancement and positive emotions (Cohen-Mansfield et al, 2012; Osman et al, 2016)

  • Increased ability to decode and retrieve new information, even with advanced AD (Oostnedorf & Montel, 2014)

  • Improvements in quality of life and reduction in anxiety and depression (Cooke et al, 2010; Camic et al 2011)

Pain management​

  • Singing has been shown to promote the production of endorphins, our natural pain killer (Smith et al, 2010)

  • Small-scale studies suggest that singing can support people with the management of chronic pain – something affecting between a third and half of the population (Croft et al, 2016)

  • Impacts on mood, coping with pain and perceived levels of pain in singing group attached to Pain Clinic (Faunce and Kenny, 2004)

  • Singing within a Pain Clinic setting 2016 – significant improvements in mental well-being (Hopper et al, 2016)

  • (Bradt et al, 2016) 22 participants in New York over an 8 week project involving relaxation, voice, body, breath and singing. Participants reported improved ability to manage pain and stress relieving benefits. Participants felt a greater sense of well-being and self-care and reported a reduction in depression

  • Community singing programme for people with chronic pain (Curtis et al, 2016) found very similar results as the other studies from interviews with 7 participants

  • Singing has the potential to support the tolerance of pain more than listening to music or silence (LiKamWa et al, 2020)

Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions

  • Singing can improve gait in people with Parkinson’s (Harrison et al, 2017) and may aid communication skills for people with Parkinson’s (Barnish et al, 2016)

  • Singing for Parkinson’s Disease has been found to improve symptoms including speech loss and dysphagia (difficulty with swallowing) as well as promote improved posture and breathing (Hibbing et al, 2016).

  • Following the success found in Melodic Intonation Therapy (Albert et al, 1973; Van der Meulen et al, 2014), studies have shown that singing has the potential to support people with aphasia (loss of speech) (Schlaug et al, 2010; Tarrant et al, 2021)

Children and young people

  • A study of nearly 4,000 children found that singing improved confidence and self-esteem (both elements of Executive Functioning) (Welch et al, 2011)

  • Singing can improve self-esteem and reduce depression in children and young people (Porter et al, 2017)

  • Rap can structure emotional expression and help regulate aggression & Singing can support expression of deeper emotional involvement in young people (Ulhig et al, 2017)

*Taken from the Singing for Health Network