Group drumming and well-being: A promising self-care strategy for social workers

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the influence of recreational drumming among social workers on measures of well-being, empowerment and connectedness. Methods: A pretest–posttest design was used to evaluate outcomes among a sample of 73 social workers who participated in the two-hour “I–We Rhythm” program for recreational drumming. Results: Results of paired t-tests analyses revealed significant differences in levels of stress, energy and feelings of empowerment and community between pre- and posttest measures. Medium effect sizes were seen for all results. As such, the results of this pilot study are promising but should be viewed with caution. Conclusions: Recreational drumming is a promising group-oriented self-care strategy among social workers, who often hold high-stress occupations.

Keywords:

• recreational drumming
• creative arts
• social work practice
• stress reduction techniques
• self-care strategies