The Immediate Effect of African Drumming on the Mental Well-Being of Adults With Mood Disorders: An Uncontrolled Pretest-Posttest Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study is the first to examine the effects of an occupational therapist-led African drumming group on mental well-being among adult psychiatric inpatients with mood disorders.

METHOD: We used a quasi-experimental, uncontrolled, one-group, pretest-posttest design. We collected data for six different drumming groups (N = 13) using the Stellenbosch Mood Scale, the Primary Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, and the Enjoyment of Interaction Scale.

RESULTS: Participants significantly improved on all six domains of the Stellenbosch Mood Scale, with a large clinical effect. Participants with higher self-reported anxiety and depression benefited the most. According to the Enjoyment of Interaction Scale results, all the participants enjoyed the drumming "a great deal."

CONCLUSION: Our positive findings suggest that drumming may be an effective intervention for adults with acute mood disorders. We recommend further research that uses a control intervention.