The Impact of Participatory Music on Mental Health

Dialogue with Researchers, Community Leaders, Health Professionals and Policymakers
Nov 7, 2024 — 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Research

Medicine events

Research and innovation

Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue

Public policy research and outreach

Music and Health Research Institute

Research centres and institutes

How can participatory music have an impact on mental health and well-being? What are the benefits of integrating music educators in health-care settings? Join seasoned researchers, expert musician educators and talented musicians to discover the importance of community music programs for people with or at risk of mental illness.

To better understand the links between music, our brain and mental health, we invite you to an afternoon of discovery and dialogue with presentations on innovative approaches and a panel discussion with health practitioners, researchers, policymakers and community groups, along with musical performances.

Register for this event

The Impact of Participatory Music on Mental Health; Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue; Group of women singing together.

Event details

Discover how music-making can transform health!
Discover how music educators can be part of a better tomorrow!

Part 1: Expert presentations

Georg Northoff

Senior scientist, University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal

“Healing Depression and Anxiety Through Personalized Music Interventions”

Andra Smith

Professor at the School of Psychology, University of Ottawa

“The Neuroscience of Musicians’ Mental Health”

Gilles Comeau

Professor and director, Music and Health Research Institute, University of Ottawa

“Community-Based Music Programs to Enhance the Health and Well-being of Older Adults Living with Dementia or Mental Health Issues: International Vision and Social Prescription Context”

Simultaneous interpretation and captioning

Please note that presentations will be offered in English and French. A simultaneous interpretation and captioning system will be available. Participants wishing to use the live interpretation system will need to connect via their smartphones equipped with earphones. Please bring your own earphones.

Accessibility

If you require accommodation, please contact the event host as soon as possible.

Part 2: Round-table discussion

A panel discussion featuring uOttawa researchers, community leaders, mental health professionals and public policy makers exploring the benefits of music on mental health:

Dr. Christian Baron, vice-president, Research-Programs, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Dr. Gilles Comeau, director, Music and Health Research Institute and professor at the School of Music, University of Ottawa

Rosamund Dunkley, director, Mental Health Promotion and Wellbeing Division, Public Health Agency of Canada

Dr. Patricia Garel, psychiatrist, CHU Ste-Justine, and clinical associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal

Colonel (retired) Rakesh Jetly, scientist, Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal and former chief psychiatrist, Canadian Armed Forces

Dr. Hélène Nicolet, director, Insitut Jaques-Dalcroze (Switzerland), and professor at the Haute école de musique de Genève

Olivier Vander Zaag, director, Regulatory Affairs, Music Canada

Part 3: Concert Docs

The event will feature musical performances by the group Concert Docs.

Event organizers

The event is hosted by the University of Ottawa's Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue, the Music and Health Research Institute and the Office of Public Policy Research and Outreach, in collaboration with the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal.