Singing against depression
- Partner(s): NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Norway; University Oldenburg, Germany; UMCG, Netherlands; Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University, Turkey; University of Nottingham, United Kingdom; University of Melbourne, Australia
- Financier(s): EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND)
- Started in: January 2017
Does singing together in a choir reduce depressive feelings in people with dementia? This is one of the questions researchers aim to answer with the MIDDEL study. This research investigates the impact of music interventions on people with dementia and symptoms of depression. Additionally, it explores how music can contribute to the quality of life of people with dementia in nursing homes.
MIDDEL stands for Music Interventions for Dementia and Depression in Elderly care and is a collaboration between various international institutions, including the ArtEZ Music Therapy lectorate. Other involved research institutes include the NORCE Norwegian Research Centre in Bergen, Norway, the UMC Groningen, and the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Dementia and depression are common and comorbid conditions in older adults, accompanied by individual challenges, significant caregiver burden, and high societal costs. Music interventions are a promising form of non-pharmacological interventions for both dementia and depression in older adults. They are already widely used, but further research is needed to increase the effectiveness of the method. The MIDDEL study is the largest-scale research to date on music interventions. The project is expected to be completed in 2024.
