Underhill, J; (2011) The psychological impact of music workshops on immigration detainees. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The difficult process of acculturation with which refugees are faced after displacement following war and gross human rights abuses is a significant problem at both the individual and societal level. As a result of the high incidence of prolonged and repeated pre-migration traumas and post-migration stressors, refugees are at an increased risk of developing a wide range of mental health problems. This thesis examines interventions for refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons that use innovative approaches to promote psychosocial wellbeing and aid acculturation. Part One is a literature review of the effectiveness of treatments for refugees, other than trauma-focused therapies, that target the broad range of mental health problems and difficulties with everyday functioning with which they present. Part Two is an empirical study of group music-making workshops run for immigration detainees in Immigration Removal Centres. The workshops aim to foster self-expression and autonomy in detainees and culminate in the production of original music that is either shared with other detainees through performances or recorded and shared with community groups. Applied ethnography was used to investigate whether the workshops had any short and/or long-term effect on participants’ psychological wellbeing, and the mechanism through which this effect was enabled. Finally, Part Three is a reflection on the research process and discusses the considerations and compromises made to conduct exploratory research in complex settings.

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