Online songwriting reduces loneliness and postnatal depression and enhances social connectedness in women with young babies: randomised controlled trial

Objective: Loneliness is a public health challenge associated with postnatal depression (PND). This study developed and tested an online songwriting intervention, with the aim of reducing loneliness and symptoms of PND and enhancing social connectedness among women with young babies. Study design: This was a two-armed non-blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT, ISRCTN17647261). Methods: Randomisation was conducted in Excel using a 1:1 allocation, with participants (N = 89) allocated to an online 6-week songwriting intervention (Songs from Home) or to waitlist control. Inclu-sion criteria were women aged & GE;18 years, with a baby & LE;9 months old, reporting loneliness (4+ on UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale) and symptoms of PND (10+ on Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS]). Loneliness (UCLA-3) was measured at baseline, after each intervention session and at 4-week follow-up. The secondary measures of PND (EPDS) and social connectedness (Social Connectedness Revised 15-item Scale [SC-15]) were measured at baseline, postintervention and at 4-week follow-up (Week 10). Factorial mixed analyses of variance with planned custom contrasts were conducted for each outcome variable comparing the intervention and control groups over time and across baseline, Weeks 1-6 and the follow-up at Week 10 for each outcome variable. Results: Compared with waitlist control, the intervention group reported significantly lower scores postintervention and at follow-up for loneliness (P < 0.001, 712P = 0.098) and PND (P < 0.001, 712P = 0.174) and significantly higher scores at follow-up for social connectedness (P < 0.001, 712P = 0.173). Conclusions: A 6-week online songwriting intervention for women with young babies can reduce loneliness and symptoms of PND and increase social connectedness. & COPY; 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Royal Society for Public Health. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

This study developed and tested an online songwriting intervention to reduce postnatal depression and loneliness and enhance social connectedness among women with young babies. The results showed significant improvements in loneliness, postnatal depression, and social connectedness in the intervention group compared to the control group.