Voices United for Harmony is a unique and innovative project aimed at improving both the mental and physical health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in SE Queensland. The project is jointly managed by Griffith University research team (Dr. Jing Sun, Prof. Nicholas Buys, and Dr Scott Harrison) and the Qld Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (Lindsay Johnson, Dion Tatow).
The project has seen the establishment of five choirs by five different Aboriginal medical services in the region. These are the Kalwun Health Service (Gold Coast), Kambu Medical Service Centre Pty Ltd. (Ipswich), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (Brisbane), Warwick VUFH Singing Group (Warwick) and Goolburri Health Advancement (Toowoomba).
The project will evaluate the benefits of choral singing on the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the five communities. Its aim is to explore ways of increasing social and emotional well-being, prevent mental illness and reducing social exclusion amongst its participants and will investigate whether Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's participation in enjoyable activity will improve their quality of life and mental health through promotion of sense of resilience and social participation.
The project has a number of aims:
Key Messages
Performance for Mental Health Week
Last year, the Choir performed in Brisbane's Queen St Mall with Aboriginal country music legend Mr Roger Knox, as part of Mental Health Week.
The project has seen the establishment of five choirs by five different Aboriginal medical services in the region. These are the Kalwun Health Service (Gold Coast), Kambu Medical Service Centre Pty Ltd. (Ipswich), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (Brisbane), Warwick VUFH Singing Group (Warwick) and Goolburri Health Advancement (Toowoomba).
The project will evaluate the benefits of choral singing on the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the five communities. Its aim is to explore ways of increasing social and emotional well-being, prevent mental illness and reducing social exclusion amongst its participants and will investigate whether Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's participation in enjoyable activity will improve their quality of life and mental health through promotion of sense of resilience and social participation.
The project has a number of aims:
- To assess the impact for indigenous people of active engagement in community music activities on measures of wellbeing, health, social inclusion and the use of health and social care services
- To undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the intervention focusing on the potential savings which could accrue to social and social care services from the assessed benefits
- To explore the feasibility of mainstreaming such a model of community music-making in partnership with Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services
Key Messages
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people suffer from mental illness at much higher rates than the national average
- There is currently a gap in services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people suffering from mental illness and social isolation
- Community choirs are one way of improving the mental health and social emotional wellbeing and social inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and increasing their access to, and use of Aboriginal community controlled health services
- Participation by people with mental illness in this project may well lead to reduced costs to health services in the future
- This project is another example of an Aboriginal health initiative having potential benefit for mainstream Australians suffering from similar mental illness and social isolation
Performance for Mental Health Week
Last year, the Choir performed in Brisbane's Queen St Mall with Aboriginal country music legend Mr Roger Knox, as part of Mental Health Week.