Table A1.

Summary of study characteristics.

Author (Year)	Country	Study Design	Participant				Type of Project (Name)	Type of Music Activity								Facilitator	Delivery
			N	Age	Characteristics	Community Characteristics		Chor	GrS	Ensb	Rcrd	Prfm	CrM	Lrn	MnD
Ascenso et al., 2021 [44]	UK	Qual	12	22–49	Parents; recently migrated mothers and fathers from prison	Socially vulnerable people who endured adversity	Planned (Lullaby Project UK)				o	o	o			Musician	3 sessions
Bailey & Davidson, 2002 [62]	Canada	Qual	7	45–62 (M = 52.14)	Homeless males with mental health experience	People in unfortunate life circumstances	Ongoing (The Homeless Choir)	o				o				Volunteer; non-musician	NS
Bailey & Davidson, 2003 [61]	Canada	Qual	7	45–62 (M = 52.14)	Homeless males with experience of poverty, abuse, limited education, chronic unemployment, and psychological disorders	Societal outcasts	Ongoing (The Homeless Choir)	o				o				Volunteer; non-musician	NS
Bailey & Davidson, 2005 [63]	Canada	Qual	8	43–64 (M = 51.5)	Street people in impoverished environments with mental disorder or previous abuse or violent experience	People living in destitute circumstances	Ongoing (Nova Scotia choir)	o				o				Volunteer with similar problems; non-musician	NS
Cain et al., 2019 [46]	Australia	Qual	23	Over 50	Immigrants and political or economic refugees	People with shared cultural background	Ongoing		o	o		o			o	NS	NS
Calò et al., 2019 [58]	UK	Mixed	Quant: 41 Qual: 37	12–17	Disadvantaged young people, community music program workers, and educators	Young people from different deprived communities and with adverse life experiences	Planned (COOL Music)			o	o			o		Musicians specialized in specific musical styles and instruments	16 weekly sessions
Camic et al., 2013 [51]	UK	Mixed	20 (10 dyads)	PwD (10): 66–88 (M = 75)	PwD and FCG dyads	PwD and FCG dyads from community mental health service	Planned (Sing Together)		o							Musician; professional choir leader	10 weekly sessions (1.5 h)
Clark et al., 2018 [52]	Australia	Qual	24 (12 Dyads)	PwD: 57–89 (M = 79.1) FCG: 61–90 (M = 75.7)	PwD and FCG dyads living together	PwD and FCG dyads living together from local community	Planned	o								NS	20 sessions over 12 m
Clift & Morrison, 2011 [31]	UK	Mixed	42	27–81 (M = 59.6)	Mental health service users and supporters	Mental health service users and supporters from local community	Planned (East Kent Singing for Health network project)	o				o				Trained supporter	Weekly sessions over 8 m in 3 terms
Clift et al., 2017 [32]	UK	Mixed	26	30–85 (Median = 55)	People with mental health needs and their family and supporters	Mental health service users and supporters from local community	Planned (The West Kent and Medway Singing Project)	o				o				Experienced singing group leaders	Weekly sessions over 16 m
Corvo et al., 2020 [69]	Italy	Quant	41	Over 60	Older people	Older people from local community	Planned (Replication of Silver Song Club Project)		o							Experienced singing group leaders across different ages	12 weekly sessions (2 h)
Damsgaard & Brinkmann, 2022 [56]	Denmark	Qual	8	NS	People with mental health conditions, their relatives, and professional facilitators	People with mental health challenges during post treatment and their family	Ongoing (A Song for the Mind)	o								Musician (professional)	NS
Davidson & Fedele, 2011 [55]	Australia	Mixed	48	PwD: M = 82.33 Carer: M = 67.29	PWD and caregiver either from family or support worker	PwD living in site-based facility and family or facility caregiver	Planned		o							Qualified teacher and singer	6 weekly sessions (2 h)
Davidson et al., 2014 [59]	Australia	Mixed	29	Over 70	PwD	Independently living home care clients with PwD from local community with risks of social isolation, low social support, depression, and chronic health problems	Planned		o							Experienced community musician	8 weekly sessions (1.5 h)
Dingle et al., 2013 [60]	Australia	Qual	37	31–74 (M = 47)	Adults with chronic mental illness or disability	Disadvantaged adults	Planned (Transformers choir)	o			o	o			o	Experienced choir director	Weekly sessions (3.5 h)
Fancourt et al., 2019a [41]	UK	Quant	IG: 33 CG: 29	IG: M = 58 CG: M = 51	FCG of patients with cancer	FCG of patients with cancer	Planned	o								Professional choir leader	12 weekly sessions (1.5 h)
Fancourt et al., 2019b [42]	UK	Quant	IG: 29 CG: 29	IG: M = 62 CG: M = 52	Bereaved partner or close relative who lost family member to cancer in last 5 years	Bereaved family member	Planned	o	o							Professional choir leader	12 weekly Sessions (1.5 h)
Forbes, 2021 [43]	Australia	Qual	5	69–71 (M = 72.5)	Spouse of a person with Parkinson’s	Local community-based Parkinson’s singing group	Ongoing (Park’n Songs)		o							Community musicians and piano accompanist	Weekly sessions (1.5–2 h)
Galinha et al., 2021 [26]; Galinha et al., 2022 [27]	Portugal	Mixed & Quant	IG: 89 CG: 60	IG: M = 76.66 CG: M = 76.51	Older adults	Socially disadvantaged older adults	Planned (Sing4Health)		o			o		o		Team of choir directors	34 sessions over 4 m (2 h)
Gudmundsdottir & Gudmundsdottir, 2010 [45]	Iceland	Mixed	12	Grp1 (6): 19–23 (M = 21) Grp2 (6): 35–41 (M = 37.67)	Mothers of infants aged under one year from two age groups	Mothers of infants in community	Planned		o							Early childhood music specialist	Weekly sessions
Hallam & Creech, 2016 [72]	UK	Mixed	IG: 280 CG: 62	50–93 Age group 50–75 (209): over75 (64)	Older people	Older people from three different community music groups	Ongoing (The Music for Life Project)	o		o		o	o			NS	NS
Hampshire & Matthijsse, 2010 [34]	UK	Mixed	41	9–11 Grp1 (22): M = 9.7 Grp2 (13): M = 10.5 Grp3 (6): M = 9.5	School children	School children from three districts, including two low and one middle socio-economic area	Ongoing (Sing Up)		o			o	o			Music leader from performing group	Weekly sessions
Harkins et al., 2016 [35]	UK	Mixed	223–285	3–15	Preschool and school-age children and adolescents	Disadvantaged children and adolescents from two deprived areas	Ongoing (Sistema Scotland’s “Big Noise”)			o						NS	In-school or after school format
Hinshaw et al., 2015 [36]	UK	Mixed	IG: 50 CG: 10	7–11 (M = 9.4)	School children	Children from two schools in high and low socio-economic areas	Ongoing (Young voice)		o							Music teachers	NS
Johnson et al., 2020 [64]	USA	Quant	IG: 208 CG: 182	M = 71.3 IG: M = 71.8 CG: M = 70.5	Older adults	Older adults from senior centers of racial/ethnically diverse communities	Ongoing (Community of Voice)	o				o				Professional choir directors; accompanist	44 sessions over 1 year (1.5 h)
Kwan & Clift, 2018 [65]	Hong Kong	Qual	47	18–50 (M = 23)	People with mental health problems	Mental health service users of social service center	Ongoing (Transforming HeArts through Music)		o	o		o	o	o		Music therapist; social workers; experienced music teachers	Over 6 months
Lee et al., 2022 [33]	Ireland	Qual	7	30–89	Early stage PwD-FCG dyads and one caregiver	PwD-FCG dyads	Planned		o		o	o				Music therapist	6 weekly sessions (1 h)
Lenette et al., 2016 [47]	Australia	Qual	11	NS	Asylum seekers	Asylum seekers in detention centers	Planned (Crossroads)		o	o						Two music facilitators	Weekly sessions
Macglone et al., 2020 [29]	UK	Mixed	45	Grp1 (17): 18–53 Grp2 (16): 30–73 Grp3 (12): 22–67	Young adults with mild to profound and complex learning disabilities	Young adults with learning disabilities in rural and urban location	Planned		o		o		o			Experienced musician; trainee; and experienced musician with disability	12–28 weekly sessions (2 h)
McFerran et al., 2022 [37]	Australia	Qual	20+	NS	Grp1 (11)—singing group: people of all age Grp2 (3)—relaxation group: adult musicians Grp3 (6 families)—family group: mother, children, siblings	People at different ages and stages in life who had interest in participating in online music gathering during lockdown	Planned		o		o		o			Music therapist; creative arts therapist; musician; musicologist	10 weekly sessions; partial extensions
Nyashanu et al., 2021 [38]	UK	Qual	15	Over 18	Participants of inclusive community singing group for more than one year	Diverse community members from local community	Ongoing (The Heron Music Café for Well-being)		o							Specially trained community musicians	NS
Osman et al., 2016 [67]	UK	Mixed	20 (10 Dyads)	NS	PwD and FCG dyads	PwD and FCG from local community	Ongoing (Singing for brain)		o							Musician	Over 2 months
Paolantonio et al., 2020 [70]	Switzerland	Qual	41	72–95 M = 83.6	Older adults	Nursing home residents	Ongoing (Art for ages)		o							Professional singing tutors (using Natural Voice Network style approach)	7 weekly sessions
Pearce et al., 2016 [30]	UK	Mixed	IG: 84 CG: 51	IG: 18–83 (M = 60) CG: 24–81 (M = 52)	Adults	Adults from community-based adult education classes	Planned		o							Professional singing tutors	7 weekly sessions
Shakespeare & Whieldon, 2018 [57]	UK	Mixed	20	NS	Current or former members and carers of community singing group for people with mental health condition experience	People who have experienced mental health condition and general public from community	Ongoing (Sing Your Heart Out)		o							Professional musicians	NS
Skingley & Bungay, 2010 [66]	Australia	Qual	17	M = 77	Older people	Older people from community-based singing groups	Ongoing (Silver Song Club Project)		o							Experienced musicians and volunteers	NS
Skingley et al., 2016 [71]	UK	Mixed	IG: 19 CG: 11	58–91 (M = 67.3)	Older people	Older people from local community	Planned (Sing for your life)		o							Trained and experienced facilitators	Weekly sessions over 13–14 weeks (1.5 h)
Skingley et al., 2018 [48]	UK	Qual	31	50–89 (M = 37)	People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)	People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from local community	Planned		o							Experienced singing faciltator; musical director; two additional facilitators	Weekly sessions over 6–10 m (1.5 h)
Smith et al., 2022 [53]	UK	Mixed	18	50–87	PwD and care-partners	PwD and care-partners	Planned (The music-making café)				o				o	Musician and staff members in community	Weekly sessions
Southcott & Li, 2018 [68]	China	Qual	13	54–78	Older adults; retirees	Members of government-based education organization for older citizens	Ongoing (TOPU singing classes)		o			o				Music teacher	Weekly sessions (2 h)
Sun & Buys, 2013 [49]	Australia	Quant	IG: 45 CG: 27	IG: M = 51.60 CG: M = 51.48	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; Australian with chronic diseases	People with chronic disease from distinct cultural background	Planned		o							Experienced singing group leader	Weekly sessions over 12 m (2 h)
Tamplin et al., 2018 [54]	Australia	Mixed	18 (9 dyads)	PwD(9): 57–89 (M = 77.9) FCG: NS	PwD and FCG dyads	PwD and FCG living in the community	Planned (Remini-sing)		o					o		Music therapist	20 weekly sessions (2 h)
Tapson et al., 2018 [39]	UK	Qual	5	Community orchestra: over 18 Big band: over 11	Adult and children from diverse cultural backgrounds, including migrant and refugees from two community music groups	People living in disadvantaged areas including migrant and refugee communities	Ongoing (Community Orchestra and Big band)			o		o				Musician (paid)	NS
Warran et al., 2019 [50]	UK	Qual	5	M = 64	Male members of cancer choir group diagnosed with prostate cancer	People affected by cancer from local choir group for cancer patients	Ongoing (London Tenovus Cancer Choir)	o								NS	Weekly sessions (1.5 h)
Yang et al., 2021 [40]	UK	Qual	47	13–19	Adults and adolescents	People from local area with poorer average health compared to other areas	Ongoing (GLUE sing program; Sing to live live to sing)		o				o	o		Experienced instructor	8 weekly sessions (1.5 h)

Abbreviations. IG: intervention group; CG: control group; Grp: group; PwD: people with dementia; FCG: family care giver; Chor: choir; GrS: group singing; Ensb: ensemble, band, or orchestra; Rcrd: recording; Prfm: performance; CrM: creative music making; Lrn: learning; MnD: music and dance; NS: not specified; m: month; h: hour.