This pilot study evaluated whether participating in an African drumming activity for 45 minutes immediately improved mental well-being among 13 adults diagnosed with acute mood disorders who were attending a private mental health clinic. The drumming intervention was completed by occupational therapists.

This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of an occupational therapy-led African drumming group on mental well-being among adult psychiatric inpatients with mood disorders. A secondary purpose was to test a protocol for the delivery of African drumming interventions to adults with acute mood disorders.

A quasi-experimental uncontrolled one-group pre-test-post-test design was used to collect data during six drumming groups at an acute mental health clinic. Thirteen adults completed assessments of different aspects of mental well-being, including mood and enjoyment, before and after the intervention. Because this was a pilot study, participants were not assigned to any comparison groups. In addition, in-patients at the clinic received the intervention whether they participated in the study or not.

Improvement in mental well-being across different domains of mental well-being was expected, including feelings of anger, tension, confusion, depression, fatigue and vigour. The researchers also expected the intervention to be more effective in participants with previous drumming experience, and in those with lower levels of anxiety and depression.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Attending mental health clinic
• Diagnosed mood disorder
• Voluntarily attending drumming group

Exclusion Criteria:

• Psychosis

13 adults diagnosed with a mood disorder (by their own physician), aged 33 to 69 years (M = 45.38, SD = 11.48). The population included both women (n = 10) and men (n = 3). Almost half the participants were of Mixed Ethnicity (n = 6), while the remaining participants were White (n = 7).