Music Activities and Mental Health Recovery: Service Users' Perspectives Presented in the CHIME Framework

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Creative Arts Therapies
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Recovery principles increasingly guide international mental health services.
• Arts and creative activities are becoming more integrated into mental health care.
• Limited research exists on mental health service users' experiences with music participation in recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how music participation can support mental health service users in their recovery process.
• To examine music activities within the CHIME (Connection, Hope, Identity, Meaning, Empowerment) recovery framework.
• To identify key components where music contributes to recovery-oriented practice.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on music activities and recovery concepts.
• Analysis of music's role through the CHIME recovery framework.
• Identification of specific ways music supports mental health recovery.

Main Results:

• Music can foster feelings of equality, social and emotional wellbeing, and tolerance.
• It enhances hope and social agency, aids in redefining identity, and creates social connections.
• Music facilitates flow states, meaningful experiences, continuity, and highlights potentials over limitations.

Conclusions:

• Experiential knowledge from service users is vital for developing music-based mental health recovery services.
• Music activities positively contribute to mental health recovery, despite potential unintended negative outcomes.
• Integrating music into recovery-oriented practice enhances mental health care provision.