Music for perinatal mental health project in progress

Leading Gambian cultural musician- Jaliba Kuyateh and MLK to release songs on the need for men and women partnership support during pregnancy

A protocol to examine how a Community Health Intervention through Musical Engagement (CHIME) could be beneficial in alleviating perinatal mental distress in The Gambia has been developed.

The promotion of music to address depression and antenatal anxiety is the ultimate objective of the UK based CHIME Project, who have partnered with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), as well as academic institutions including University of Cambridge, Imperial College and the Australian National University.

Professor Lauren Stewart, Project Leader from Goldsmiths, University of London in the United Kingdom said the ongoing partnership will test the feasibility of CHIME Project to support antenatal mental health in The Gambia.

Professor Stewart was speaking at a Press Briefing coordinated by the Health Communication Unit under the Ministry of Health held at the NaNA Conference hall along Bertil Herdin Highway in Bakau on the 18 November 2019.

She explained that the co-development of a music-based intervention with local Kanyeleng groups is intended to support pregnant woman's mental health through creating a supportive network and to lift their mood.

Professor Stewart explained that the partnership has commissioned two prominent Gambian Musicians, namely - Jaliba Kuyateh and MLK, to write songs about the importance of partner support during pregnancy and after birth.  

“The CHIME team, along with Jaliba and MLK toured 4 communities this week, including Gunjur, Pirang, Ballymandinka and Ndungu Kebbeh,” said Mr Buba Darboe- Program Manager, Health Communication at the Ministry of Health.

Professor Vivette Glover- Co-Investigator on the CHIME project - from Imperial College London gave a presentation describing depression as the most common major complication of maternity. “Women have many symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy…. Antenatal anxiety and depression are strong risk factors for postnatal depression,” she said; noting that “the mother’s emotional status in pregnancy can have long lasting effects on her child. Parental stress is reported to be associated with increased risk of change in development and behavior in the child.”

Glover also observed that prenatal stress is more common in low and middle income countries than in developed countries, adding that “children who were in the womb during times of war and natural disasters are more likely to have difficulties in later life than children who were not subject to such stress during pregnancy. However, stress and anxiety can also be caused by lack of partner support during pregnancy,” she said.

She concluded that new and culturally appropriate approaches to reduce stress, anxiety and depression during this time needed to be developed, as well as strategies to encourage partners to support their wives at this important time. “Music-based approaches can be a particularly promising with respect to both of these,” she said.

Chairing the Press Briefing Mr Buba Darboe, Program Manager, Health Communication at the Ministry of Health explains that mental health problems in the perinatal period are a particular challenge.

The need to develop new, non-stigmatising and culturally appropriate approaches to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression perinatally, for the benefit of both mother and child has been necessitated. CHIME Project perceive Music-centred approaches as useful method in The Gambia since a range of musical practices that specifically engage pregnant women and new mothers already exist.

Other speakers included Ronald Williams, Director of Finance and Administration at NCAC.