ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1707023
This article is part of the Research TopicMusic-based Interventions for Mental Health and WellbeingView all 12 articles
Music For Displaced Dyads: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study on the Impact of Music Therapy on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Ukrainian Refugee Families
Provisionally accepted
- 1Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom
- 2University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United Kingdom
- 3University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Background: Global displacement has reached unprecedented levels, with refugee mothers and children particularly vulnerable to psychological distress. Following the war in Ukraine, many families face trauma, disrupted parenting, and limited access to mental health services. Music therapy (MT) offers a non-pharmacological, culturally adaptable approach to support psychosocial wellbeing. This feasibility study explored the impact of a dyadic MT intervention on Ukrainian refugee caregivers and their children resettled in the UK. Methods: Four groups of 4–6 caregiver-child dyads participated in an 8-week improvisational MT program, co-designed with caregivers and culturally tailored. A mixed-methods approach included: (1) quantitative pre/post measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, wellbeing, cognitive functioning, parenting self-efficacy, musical home environment, and social connectedness; (2) physiological assessment of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as an index of autonomic regulation; and (3) post-intervention semi-structured interviews with caregivers. Results: Significant improvements were observed in caregivers' PTSD, depression, anxiety, and cognitive functioning. RSA data indicated increased parasympathetic activity, suggesting improved emotional regulation. Non-significant trends emerged in parenting and home musical engagement. Qualitative analysis identified enhanced child communication, socio-emotional functioning, and transference of musical engagement into the home. Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate the feasibility and potential efficacy of MT for improving mental health and parent-child dynamics among displaced Ukrainian families. Findings support MT as a low-cost, trauma-informed, and scalable intervention. Further
Keywords: Music Therapy, Mental Health, Trauma, displacement, Music group, respiratory sinus arrhythmia
Received: 16 Sep 2025; Accepted: 06 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Slabu, Coombes, Mangiacotti, Hadar and Franco. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Letitia Slabu, l.slabu@mdx.ac.uk
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