Where words fail, music speaks: the impact of participatory music on the mental health and wellbeing of asylum seekers

Background

There is growing evidence that participatory music can be supportive and empowering for marginalised, culturally diverse populations. Amid largely hostile reception of asylum seekers in Australia, a group of music facilitators regularly attends an Immigration Transit Accommodation facility to share music and singing activities with detained asylum seekers, to counter significant mental and emotional distress resulting from indefinite detention. Methods This paper outlines the key themes of a narrative analysis, from a health and wellbeing perspective, of music facilitators' monthly written observations recorded in 2012. Results By drawing on examples from observational narratives, we outline a framework that suggests links between music and singing, and the health and wellbeing of detained asylum seekers. The framework includes four intertwined concepts: (1) Humanisation, (2) Community, (3) Resilience, and (4) Agency. Conclusions The framework suggests the potential for participatory music to counter the significant impact of traumatic experiences and detention on asylum seekers' health and wellbeing.

Keywords:

• asylum seekers
• music
• singing
• detention
• health and wellbeing

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Griffith University Arts, Education, and Law Group. The authors would like to acknowledge and thank Mr Brian Procopis and other music facilitators who have participated in this research. We would also like to acknowledge participants in The Scattered People music programme who have inspired this work. We acknowledge and thank the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, School of Human Services and Social Work, and School of Humanities at Griffith University for in-kind and cash contributions to this research.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare they have received no financial interest of benefit arising from the direction applications of their research.

Notes

^1. Email: [email protected]

^2. Email: [email protected]

^3. Email: [email protected]

^4. This is reminiscent of Fanon's (1952) concept of dehumanisation inherent to colonisation.