Music brings young people together for Children’s Mental Health Week | News and events

Music brings people together - at concerts, in the bedrooms of teenagers up and down the country, at parties or just sharing a favourite song. Music is also about feelings, memories, a way to relax and to make people just feel good and that they belong. So, for Children's Mental Health Week (9-15 February) Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) is helping young people harness the power of music in recovery.

Children using mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk are being encouraged to share their favourite tunes as part of an expanding project to harness the power of music in recovery.

As part of Children's Mental Health Week, organised by the charity Place2Be, a playlist is being created by younger people using Trust services, inspired by Particip8's Mental Health Music Takeover project.

Young people from the Dragonfly unit at Carlton Court and under the young people's community teams were asked to suggest songs they loved and why they made them feel good.

There were also suggestions from students at East Bergholt High School. NSFT Psychological Therapist Jenna Cutmore said: There were a real mixture of ages in the school's wellbeing cabin at lunch who chose the songs. It was really lovely and we ended up all singing along.

Andrea Bland, who works in NSFT's participation team and who has been a driving force behind the playlist project said: "The theme for Children's Mental Health Week this year is 'This is My Place', focusing on fostering a sense of belonging and community among children and young people.

"Music helps young people to find their place in the world and gives them a sense of belonging. They get together to listen to the same music, talk about singers and bands, share stories and dance around. It brings them together with a shared passion. We like to think of this as 'Together Through Music'."

Dr Kate Budge, Associate Director of Psychology and Consultant Clinical Psychologist with East Suffolk Children, Families and Young People's Services, said: "Listening to music can make a real difference to children and young people's mental health. Research consistently shows music can help reduce feelings of anxiety and low mood, lift emotions, and support overall wellbeing. It can help young people feel safer, more settled, and less alone. These benefits are strongest when music is used deliberately or with support, but even everyday listening is linked to lower stress and a greater sense of comfort and connection."

Music works with how young people's brains and emotions develop. It can calm the body, improve mood, and give young people a way to understand and manage big feelings when words are hard to find. It also often acts like an emotional anchor-supporting regulation and coping at times when young people are still learning how to manage their feelings on their own.

Andrea, along with a participation colleague, recently collected song suggestions at the 9th Community Psychology Festival Project, which is run by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

The event was hosted at the Forum in Norwich and the songs have now formed a new playlist available on Spotify and You Tube.

Andrea said: "This playlist was inspired by the conversations, creativity and connections at the Community Psychology Festival back in October. Visitors shared their go-to songs that spark happiness, restore calm, or reflect their emotions. Each track represents real experiences and feelings, creating a soundtrack of voices from our wider community, a reminder that music connects us all."

The festival led Particip8 member Lucy Hickman to create a poem What Music Means to Me , using the feedback about music collected at the festival.

Now in her second year of an Open University degree in psychology, Lucy has been writing since she was 11 at her school writers' club. She said: "I've just never stopped. I find myself always coming up with metaphors and phrases which I can later use to explore an idea for a poem. I have also found that writing has enabled me to learn so much about myself."

The poem was her way of connecting Particip8 with the local community and to show how a sense of belonging can really help in the mental health recovery journey for them and others who are experiencing challenges.

"Particip8 has opened so many doors for me as a creative person. Working with a group of people with the same goal in mind is the most rewarding thing. Our group is so supportive of each other, and we celebrate everyone's little achievements. I hope that everyone can find a community like Particip8 for themselves," said Lucy.

Festival playlist on Spotify and YouTube:

Children's playlist on YouTube

What Music Means to Me by Lucy Hickman

It is the ultimate brain hack when things feel too heavy, transforming my emotions when I need a boost in mood.
Music is the strength I require when I need to feel my emotions,
It comforts me through the grief, sadness and loneliness keeping me company like a long-time friend.

Through the power of music, my emotions transform and feel less overwhelming when they did before.
It also celebrates with me, giving me the courage to appreciate myself and my achievements.

I am transported away from my stressors and into a world where only the music and I exist. This way I can process my thoughts as they come.
I like moving my arms around to music, dancing the thoughts away.
When I feel lonely, music finds the perfect company I am eager for, harmonising with others allows me to express myself and feel grounded.

At the end of a long day, music is what helps me relax my mind and body.
It helps me rest by soothing me to sleep, so the next day I can wake up feeling like my batteries are fully charged.

It seems music always has the perfect accompaniment for any situation I am in.
It is invaluable to me as a medium for maintaining good mental health,
And that's why it is so important to me.