"Unplug to recharge": accessing respite through song in a culturally and linguistically diverse perinatal context.

Abstract

Background: This original, qualitative study examines the ways in which the concept of respite is expressed and experienced through the activity of singing in refugee mothers, new and expectant, in a perinatal healthcare setting in Logan, Queensland.

Methods: Data were collected using a multi-method approach using field notes, yarning circles, and semi-structured interviews. Reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA) yielded themes influenced also by literature on singing, wellbeing, health inequities, and the conceptual lens of respite.

Results: The research found that singing afforded respite for mothers across four dimensions, allowing for safe spaces, me time, new direction, and immersion. Respite and singing are identified here as strength-based and cultural solutions to wellbeing. No negative effects were reported.

Conclusions: The article discusses implications for socially-mediated healthcare in culturally diverse contexts. The idea of "song" enables access to a space of sanctuary wherein health inequities can be tackled in meaningful and decolonising ways.