Professor Lauren Stewart and colleagues, including partners from the Perinatal Mental Health Project at the University of Cape Town, have published new research exploring how music could support perinatal mental health.
Published in PLOS Global Public Health, the paper presents a formative study examining the feasibility of developing a culturally grounded, music-based intervention to support women during pregnancy and the first year after birth.
The publication helped to strengthen the research foundations, partnerships and intellectual direction for Professor Stewart’s successful application to the NIHR Global Health Research Groups call, which funds the current CHIME project (Community Health Intervention through Musical Engagement), a large international and highly interdisciplinary research consortium focused on maternal mental health, with a particular emphasis on the perinatal period.
Maternal mental health is a significant global public health priority. Within this, perinatal mental health, covering pregnancy and the first year after birth, is especially critical. Mental health difficulties during this time can have lasting effects on parents, infants and wider families, with long-term implications for health, development and social wellbeing. Addressing these challenges requires approaches that are accessible, culturally responsive and rooted in community realities.
The recent study was conducted in South Africa, where perinatal depression, stress and anxiety affect an estimated 16 to 50 percent of women, and where access to formal mental health support remains limited. By working in a context where need is high and services are stretched, the research provides valuable insights into how low-cost, community-based models could be developed and adapted for use in different settings.
Working closely with community health workers, traditional healers, music experts, NGO leaders and healthcare professionals in the Eastern Cape, the team adopted a community-based participatory approach to understand local priorities and explore how group music-making could offer meaningful support. The findings show how deeply music is embedded in social, spiritual and community life, and how collaborative singing can strengthen social connection, reduce stress and improve emotional wellbeing.
Participants highlighted that music traditions are already linked to pregnancy, childbirth and healing, though some practices are being lost over time. The study points to an opportunity to revive and adapt participatory music-making in ways that are familiar, inclusive and community-led.
The publication offers a clear example of how sustained, high-quality scholarship can evolve into larger externally funded programmes. It also reflects the continued momentum within the Roehampton School of Psychology, showcasing research that is rigorous, collaborative and focused on addressing globally significant perinatal mental health challenges through innovative and socially engaged approaches.
You can read the full open access article in PLOS Global Public Health here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004878
To find out more about the CHIME project and its wider work in perinatal mental health, visit https://chimeproject.com/.