Is group singing special? Health, well-being and social bonds in community-based adult education classes.

ABSTRACT: Evidence demonstrates that group singing improves health and well-being, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Given that cohesive social networks also positively influence health, we focus on the social aspects of singing, exploring whether improvements in health and well-being are mediated by stronger social bonds, both to the group as a whole (collective-bonding) and to individual classmates (relational-bonding). To do so, seven newly-formed community-based adult education classes (four singing, N=84, and three comparison classes studying creative writing or crafts, N=51) were followed over seven months. Self-report questionnaire data on mental and physical health, well-being, and social bonding were collected at Months 1, 3 and 7. We demonstrate that physical and men

SUBMITTER: Pearce E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5113759 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov/Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature