Music therapy is being used to help Ukrainian refugee mums and toddlers in a ground-breaking project at Middlesex University .

The therapy has been tried with a group of mothers and their children from the Ukraine helping them adapt to life away from the war zone.

“Music is important to manage everyday activities,” Middlesex University psychology professor Fabia Franco said. “It could better support the care-givers’ integration into the workforce. Improvements also suggest more positive forecasts for the children’s development.”   

The music is to communicate rather than entertain for mothers and their children under three, who have fled Putin’s invasion of their homeland.

Both adults and toddlers have experienced high rates of trauma and loss, which have affected mental health, parenting and child development.  

The researchers found anxiety reduced significantly after eight weeks with music therapy. Levels of depression and symptoms of post-trauma disorders fell among displaced refugees, while they found improvements in their concentration and flexibility.