As if we needed another excuse to belt out some Christmas tunes at the top of our lungs, researchers have revealed that singing in groups really could make you happier.
Yep, after examining the benefits of joining a community singing group on people with anxiety or depression, scientists at the University of East Anglia found that those who sung their hearts out with others were able to maintain or improve their mental health.
Working in collaboration with the Sing Your Heart Out project – a Norfolk-based organisation that runs weekly singing workshops for people with mental health conditions and the general public – lead researcher Professor Tom Shakespeare now believes that the mix of socialising and singing could have a powerful impact on wellbeing.
‘We found that singing as part of a group contributes to people’s recovery from mental health problems,’ he said in the journal Medical Humanities.
He added: ‘All of the participants we spoke to reported positive effects on their mental health as a direct result of taking part in the singing workshops.
‘But the key thing for everyone was that the Sing Your Heart Out model induced fun and happiness.’
Quick, grab your mates and put some Mariah on…
