An initiative known as CHIME-Community Health Interventions through Musical Engagement is changing the lives of mothers across Africa. Stellenbosch University has joined the team of researchers from the UK, The Gambia, Lesotho, and Australia who will be examining how culturally rooted musical practices can enhance perinatal mental health in three African countries.
The CHIME project, bolstered by funding of nearly R65 million from the UK’s National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), aims to explore how music can support the mental health of expecting mothers. The grant will support three interlinked research projects across South Africa, Lesotho and The Gambia to evaluate CHIME, a participatory group-based singing intervention for pregnant women. The researchers will also investigate how to adapt the programme for different settings, especially in communities where participatory music is integral to culture and daily life.
Early research indicates that daily listening to specially composed music during pregnancy reduces anxiety symptoms. This is crucial because prenatal stress and anxiety can impact both the physical and psychological development of the child. Implementing low-cost, stigma-free approaches like music is vital in reducing the effects of stress and anxiety across generations.
“Participatory music is deeply woven into the culture and daily life of communities in South Africa and Lesotho,” explained Professor Sarah Skeen from the Institute of Life Course Health Research at SU, who co-leads the project with Professor Lauren Stewart from the University of Roehampton in the UK.
“The South African research team will work closely with mothers and community members in Khayelitsha to develop a localised version of CHIME, and explore possibilities for further adaptation and expansion across different districts of Lesotho,” said Skeen.Group music-making has been shown to boost mood and foster social connections.
Stewart emphasises the need for cultural awareness in global health interventions: “It’s crucial that CHIME remains rooted in local culture and community practices. Our approach identifies local challenges and works with community resources to create tailored solutions.”
The initiative builds upon previous work to develop CHIME in South Africa and The Gambia. In The Gambia, researchers collaborated with Gambian partners from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Centre for Arts and Culture, and local Kanyeleng groups to co-design and implement interventions. Kanyeleng groups, all-female fertility societies within The Gambia, conduct participatory music sessions with pregnant women, addressing themes of resilience, social support, and strategies for managing common physical and psychological challenges during pregnancy. In the lead up to the project in South Africa, project partners, the Perinatal Mental Health Project at the University of Cape Town and One-to-One Africa, have been working with community health workers called Mentor Mothers to develop a series of songs designed to promote maternal mental well-being.