Reducing loneliness and social isolation through singing and dance research from the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health Dr Ann Skingley, Principal Research Fellow

Overview Background Sidney De Haan Research Centre and Arts & Health research Findings from three research projects Singing and mental health Singing and COPD Dance and arts for older people

Background: loneliness past There is a close but complex association between loneliness, social isolation and living alone (Cattan et al, 2005)

Background : loneliness now The Age of loneliness?

Background: theory How can the arts, and particularly singing and dance, contribute? Singing found in all human societies Singing and dance as mechanisms for human bonding through synchronous behaviours Evidence of hormone release Faster bonding with singing than with other group activities (Pearce et al, 2015)

Arts & Health Research Sidney De Haan Centre’s work Researching the link between the arts & wellbeing and health for 10 years Focus on older people and those living with LTCs – COPD, mental health problems, dementia, Parkinson’s. Both of these groups at risk of loneliness, social isolation and detachment from cultural activities (ONS, 2010; ELSA 2012)

Arts & Health Research Current policy for older people’s wellbeing NICE (2015) Older people: independence and mental wellbeing Provide opportunities to socialise Importance of sense of belonging to a community (‘social connectedness’) Provide activities including singing programmes – best quality evidence from an RCT But generally a lack of evidence for effectiveness

Arts & Health Research importance of social wellbeing 2011 NIHR’s Public Health Programme commissioned call: What is the effectiveness and cost effectiveness for health and wellbeing of bringing people together through creative enterprises in open access settings? There is increasing recognition that social isolation adversely affects long-term health and wellbeing. Primary research is required to investigate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness for health and wellbeing of bringing people together through creative enterprises in open access settings.

Arts, Health and Loneliness Research issues and assumptions Target group – how to access? Link between loneliness and social isolation? Measuring loneliness and social isolation How to demonstrate preventive effects? Funding for arts and health research Sustainability

Singing for Mental Health 7 groups in E.Kent 137 participants 42 completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires CORE-OM showed significant improvement on some items (e.g. I have felt terribly alone and isolated) Singing for mental health at The Granville, Ramsgate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITDAi9lWhyw#t=56

Whitstable singing for breathing group Singing and COPD Affects c. 835,000 people in England (DH 2010) People with COPD feel isolated (BLF 2007) Some existing evidence for effect of singing on quality of life 2010-2012 observational pre-test, post-test study 6 singing groups, n=121 at baseline, 36 weeks singing intervention Spirometry, standardised questionnaires, free comments Mean increase in FEV1 Whitstable singing for breathing group

Singing and COPD ‘COPD is socially isolating and the singing class has allowed me to share experiences about my condition and pick up tips from others on how to cope. There’s always a welcoming, comforting atmosphere at singing, it’s the one place I don’t feel unusual or different from other folk and you don’t get comments or looks from those around you if you experience discomfort as they understand your condition and its limitations’ (Male, age 70)

Arts and dance for older people: edna: energise dance nourish art In Medway & Gravesham 30-43% pensioners live alone Up to 26% older people in deprivation Up to 17.9% have long term limiting illness (Public Health England 2013) North Kent Local Authorities Arts Partnership and voluntary groups as partners 12 week dance and arts programme in 2 venues running concurrently Pretest-posttest physical (n=14) and QoL (n=21) measures

Arts and dance for older people Findings Improvements in posture, shoulder mobility and balance Significant improvement in psychological domain of WHOQOL BREF Positive comments: ‘I think really what edna has meant for me is meeting people. I love meeting people and I think we’ve been very lucky with the people that have introduced us to this course and have organised the whole thing’. (Female age 90) ‘It’s not easy to make friends as you get older. People can get cliquey but that’s not what’s happened here because we’ve all been encouraged to gel as a group and that’s been a big positive for me’. (Female age 73) Some physical measures reached statistical significance Some divergence between what the QT and QL data suggest i.e no difference on social scale of WHOQOL but participants commented on the social side at interview

What have we found? Older individuals and those living with long term conditions can feel isolated Group arts projects seem to reduce sense of isolation Structured measures do not always capture how participants feel Issues of funding, sustainability, measures, recruitment remain

Thank you! ann.skingley@canterbury.ac.uk http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/health-and-wellbeing/sidney-de-haan-research-centre/sidney-de-haan-research-centre.aspx