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Melodies for Mums to Be: Community Group Singing Intervention for Pregnant Women With Antenatal Depressive Symptoms

Key facts

Who runs it
King's College London
Where
United Kingdom1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
Trial code
Status
Not yet recruiting
People taking part
50 people, planned
Starts
Jan 2027
Expected to end
31 Mar 2028
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groups
Treatments tested
  • Melodies for Mums to Be
  • Usual Care
Record updated
13 November 2026

Who can take part

Age
18 years and older
Sex
Women only
Healthy volunteers
Cannot take part

The registry criteria, word for word

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Who can take part

  • Pregnant women aged 18 years or older
  • ≥16 weeks' gestation at enrolment
  • ≤28+6 weeks' gestation at the scheduled start of the antenatal cohort
  • Score ≥10 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at screening, indicating antenatal depressive symptoms
  • Able to provide informed consent and participate in study procedures, including group sessions, facilitated in English

Who cannot take part

  • Participants unable to engage with study procedures (e.g., understand study information and give informed consent)
  • Participants unable to attend in-person singing sessions due to geographic distance or travel limitations
  • Participants currently attending another structured singing or music-based activity during the study period

This trial has no sites in United States.

It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Antenatal depression (AND) is a common mental health condition, affecting approximately 1 in 10 expectant mothers, yet many find it difficult to access the right kind of support. Feeling low during pregnancy can affect day-to-day wellbeing and is associated with difficulties in feeling connected to the unborn baby and to others around them. If left unsupported, AND can have wider consequences, including an increased risk of preterm birth, difficulties in the developing relationship between mother and baby, and effects on the child's development after birth.

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Group singing may offer an accessible, non-clinical way to support mental health during pregnancy, providing a friendly, non-judgemental space in which to meet others and take part in a shared activity. This study builds on research from the Melodies for Mums programme, which showed that community group singing reduced symptoms of depression and improved the relationship between mothers and their babies after birth. This study aims to investigate whether a similar programme, Melodies for Mums to Be, delivered during pregnancy, can reduce symptoms of depression, improve mood and wellbeing, and support the relationship between expectant mothers and their unborn babies. The study is funded by the Psychiatry Research Trust and delivered by King's College London in partnership with Breathe Arts Health Research.

Fifty expectant mothers aged 18 or over who are experiencing symptoms of low mood (a score of 10 or above on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) will be recruited from across London from 16 weeks' gestation. Participants will be randomly allocated either to attend a six-week group singing programme during pregnancy or to receive the same programme after the birth of their baby, ensuring that all participants have the opportunity to take part. Sessions will last approximately 60 minutes, be held weekly at community cultural venues across London, and be led by trained facilitators. No musical experience is needed.

Participants will complete questionnaires and interviews before, during, and after the programme, and at approximately 8 weeks, 7 months, and 12 months after giving birth. The main outcome is the change in depressive symptoms over the six-week programme period, compared between the two groups. Participants who consent will also provide saliva and blood samples to help understand whether singing during pregnancy is associated with changes in biological markers of stress and bonding.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Immediate accessTreatment being tested

    Participants randomised to the immediate access arm will receive immediate antenatal access to the six-week group singing intervention, offered alongside existing care.

    Treatment: Melodies for Mums to Be

  • Delayed accessOther group

    Participants randomised to the delayed access arm will not attend antenatal singing sessions and will receive usual care during pregnancy. They will complete the same antenatal assessment schedule as participants in the immediate access arm. The delayed access arm will be offered the same six-week singing intervention postnatally, commencing after completion of the 8-week postpartum assessment.

    Treatment: Melodies for Mums to Be and Usual Care

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

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Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Melodies for Mums to Be: Community Group Singing Intervention for Pregnant Women With Antenatal Depressive Symptoms - A Clinical, Biological and Implementation Evaluation
Record updated
13 November 2026
Melodies for Mums to Be: Community Group Singing Intervention for Pregnant Women With Antenatal Depressive Symptoms (NCT07935824) – Frontlight Research