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The offender personality disorder (OPD) pathway provides services to people with histories of offending and traits of personality disorder (PD) who are at high risk of violent re-offending. The residential provisions have been developed as psychologically informed planned environments (PIPE), in which socially creative activities form an integral part. Ryan et al. (2018) suggest that social and creative activities offer individuals experiences to increase their understanding of themselves and others. The purpose of this study is to complete a service evaluation exploring how people who live on an OPD PIPE in a woman’s prison make sense of their experiences of a drumming, singing and ceremony group, which was offered to them as part of their provision PIPE.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six service users (between 19 and 42 years old).

Thematic analysis identified three themes: emotional regulation, belonging and connectedness and humanising spaces.

This study used a small sample (n = 6), and all participants were accessing the same OPD provision PIPE. Further, participation was voluntary, and results found may relate to possible biases in a self-selecting sample. The interviewer knew the participants through their clinical work, and despite being informed that participation in this research project would have no bearing on their treatment pathway, some may have participated as a way to demonstrate their compliance with the overall programme. A further limitation relates to the group being evaluated on its own without a comparison group.

This study has important implications for treatment delivery in prisons, as it demonstrates the therapeutic merit of social creative activities for one of the most complex, high-risk and challenging offender groups. The findings show that the specific combination of the physical act of drumming and the social act of drumming together may create an environment that allows people to heal and overcome both physical and emotional disconnections that have been caused by their trauma.

This study’s findings provide further understanding of the experience of people who have survived trauma.

Findings suggest that the group provides therapeutic value, offering an alternative to traditional therapy and targets specific difficulties particularly associated with emotionally unstable and antisocial PDs. We suggest that socially creative activities form an important part of the rehabilitation process of complex, high-risk groups. Future research would benefit from focusing on the extent to which experiential learning through socially creative group participation can impact on lasting behavioural change.

There is growing interest in the use of music and other arts mediums as a way of addressing mental health and social wellbeing issues in a non‐clinical or therapy setting. This can be particularly apt for more at‐risk young people who may not engage readily with other approaches. Published evaluation of such interventions is however sparse. This paper aims to describe an evaluation of the DRUMBEAT program which uses drumming as a way to engage at‐risk youth, whilst simultaneously incorporating themes relating to mental wellbeing and healthy relationships.

An evaluation was undertaken in 19 schools participating in the ten‐week DRUMBEAT program. Pre, interim and post‐program surveys were administered to participating students (n=180). School‐based data on student behaviour and teacher feedback was also collected.

Positive changes were observed on several measures, including a 10 per cent increase in self‐esteem scores by program completion. School data showed a decrease in reported behaviour incidents for 29 per cent of participants. Overall, the evaluation indicated that the DRUMBEAT program provides a creative medium for working with at‐risk young people and helps develop self‐esteem and social relationship skills.

There is a paucity of published evaluations of interventions of this kind. Also novel is the delivery of the program in a school‐based rather than clinical therapy setting. The paper also demonstrates how a “real world” intervention program can go beyond basic process evaluation to collect outcome data that helps build the evidence base for mental health promotion.

In this study we aim to examine a Durkheimian solution to the problem of social cooperation. Drawing on relevant literature on rituals and social solidarity, we make a case that both synchronous and complementary ritualistic acts can promote social cooperation by strengthening solidarity.

We used a lab experiment in which participants performed either synchronous, complementary, or uncoordinated group drumming. After the drumming, they self-reported their positive affect, feeling of being in the same group and trust. Then they played a five-round public goods game in which their levels of cooperation were observed.

We found both synchrony and complementarity help sustain group cooperation. Participants who drummed synchronously or complementarily contributed more to the public good than those in the baseline condition, especially in later rounds of the game. Individuals in the synchronous and complementary conditions also showed stronger feelings of being in the same group. Mediation analysis confirmed that the effects of ritual performance on cooperation are partially mediated by feelings of same-groupness.

Results of our study imply that ritual performance based on either members’ similarities or complementary differences can promote group solidarity and cooperation.

The study supports the classic Durkheimian solution to the problem of social cooperation. Consistent with recent research, we find the causal effect of synchrony on cooperation. Moreover, our new test of the effect of complementarity shows that being different but mutually supportive can effectively enhance solidarity and cooperation as well.

The purpose of this paper is to address a significant public mental health disparity affecting American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs): the shortage of clinical trials research analyzing the benefits of AI/AN traditional-based treatments, e.g. drumming.

A total of four focus groups were conducted among outpatient and inpatient AI/AN substance abuse patients and providers serving AI/ANs. The purpose of these focus groups was to obtain insights relating to the recent challenges of conducting a clinical trial within the outpatient treatment setting seeking to analyze the benefits of a new substance abuse treatment intervention utilizing drumming for AI/ANs [Drum-assisted Recovery Therapy for Native Americans (DARTNA)] and to obtain recommendations to successfully conduct a similar study within an inpatient treatment setting.

The most prevalent barriers to conducting a clinical trial within an outpatient setting were transportation and child care issues. Recommendations were obtained with regard to optimizing recruitment and retention for a future study within an inpatient setting.

This research offers the field rare information that helps toward identifying strategies to successfully conduct clinical trials investigating the benefits of culturally-appropriate treatments for AI/ANs with substance use disorders.

Approximately 70 years ago, descendants of Trinidadian enslaved Africans created an instrument from steel drums discarded by the US Navy. Since then, the steelpan has attracted entrepreneurs from around the world because of its unique sound, and, as the quintessential instrument for the pre-Lenten Trinidad Carnival, it also entices tourists. Its production did not stay under the “breadfruit tree”; however, as they are now mass produced and even patented abroad. Some argue this amounts to cultural piracy, as the steelpan is more than an artifact but is the mentifactual property of a people. Thus, the question remains whether the authenticity of the steelpan is lost when not crafted within the landscape of Trinidad.

Permex Ltd., Lodge Road, Hendon, London NW4 4DG, have recently completed the design, installation and commissioning of a pitch drumming plant for Bitmac of Scunthorpe.

The purpose of this paper is to present findings from an evaluation of a mental health resilience intervention for unemployed men aged 45-60. The focus is on examining the place of activities within a multi-dimensional men’s mental health programme, and exploring interactions between social context factors and models of change.

The paper draws on before and after survey data and qualitative interviews, to report results concerning effectiveness in changing men’s perceived resilience, to consider project processes concerning activities, social support and coping strategies, and to situate these within wider environments.

The programme significantly raised the perceived resilience of participants. Activities were engaging for men, while the complex intersection between activities, social networking, and coping strategies course provided opportunities for men to develop resilience in contexts resonant with their male identities.

A limitation is that the evaluation could not measure longer term impacts.

The paper discusses emerging considerations for resilience building, focusing on gender-sensitive approaches which can engage and retain men by focusing on doing and talking, in the contexts of men’s life-course, highlighting embodied (male) identities not disembodied “mental states”, and facilitating social support. There are challenges to recruit men despite stigma, support men to speak of feelings, and facilitate progression.

Potential exists for gender-aware programmes to sustain salutogenic change, co-producing social assets of peer support, male-friendly activities, and context sensitive course provision.

The paper adds fresh evidence of gendered intervention approaches, including effects on male resilience. Application of a context-sensitive change model leads to multi-component findings for transferring and sustaining programme gains.

The illustration is of the new petrochemicals plant for Union Carbide Ltd., at Hythe, Southampton. This is now nearing completion and the photograph shows part of the product storage area, drumming and despatching buildings. Amongst the many products to be made here are : anti‐freeze, transparent paper, printing inks, detergents, heavy duty brake fluids, rubber mould lubricants, agricultural chemicals, solvents, etc. The most modern specialised chemicals plant has been installed to allow for a high degree of automation.