How Live Music Can Be Delivered to Children and Young People to Support Their Mental Health and Wellbeing: Co-Produced Solutions and Key Findings from a Series of Intergenerational Multi-Disciplinary Workshops

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review this article.

First of all, I would like to congratulate the authors for their efforts to improve the mental health of the student population.

 However, I think the article can gain much more richness by making small changes in the wording. The article mentions the problem of children and young people's mental health, but it is not clear from the outset what particular approach the study will take to address this problem. It would be useful to specify at the outset that the research focuses on the use of live music to improve mental health. The introduction covers several important aspects, such as rates of mental health problems and music use, but the information does not follow a coherent flow. The paragraphs could be better organised to take the reader from the general problem (children and young people's mental health) to the specific focus (live music) that the study will address. It would be useful to include more detail on why live music has the potential to be a meaningful intervention for this demographic, differentiating it from other art forms or creative activities. The introduction mentions "children and young people", but it would be useful to define this demographic more clearly in terms of age from the outset, as the article covers a wide range (8-25 years). This will help readers to better understand the scope of the research.

The methodology mentions that participants were selected through a network of contacts, but does not explain how it was ensured that the sample was sufficiently diverse or representative. The methodology mentions data collection through various tools (graffiti murals, interviews, surveys, etc.), but a more detailed explanation of how this data was managed and analysed is missing. Furthermore, it is not entirely clear how the activities were adapted for children of different ages and abilities.

 

These suggestions would help to strengthen the methodology, improving both the clarity and validity of the study's approach.

Author Response

We thank the reviewer for the feedback and have made amendments to our paper accordingly. See attached file for pour detailed response. Thanks

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper brings an original contribution to children's participation and well-being studies. It is well structured and argumented. Yet, the support of music to mental health is only indirectly demonstrated: it is the subjective mental health that is actually measured. I recommend this important nuance be included and dealed with. Besides, the "Hawthorne effect", whereby participants modify their behavior as a result of their consciousness of being observed, should also be addressed. This two recommendations may also allow for more nuances in the presentation of results and in the discussion.

Author Response

We thank the reviewer for their feedback and have amended the manuscript accordingly. Please the attached file for our detailed response.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors  

Reviewer’s Letter

Dear Author,

I would like to congratulate you on the significant improvements made in the manuscript since the initial review. The revisions have considerably enhanced the clarity and depth of the content, particularly in the sections discussing the methodology and the insights derived from the intergenerational workshops. The additional context provided around the workshop activities and participant engagement has made the study’s objectives and findings clearer and more impactful.

The structure now flows more coherently, especially in how the results align with the objectives, offering a better understanding of the potential impact of live music on youth mental health. Additionally, the expanded discussion on barriers and enablers, particularly around accessibility and engagement for diverse youth groups, greatly strengthens the paper.

Suggestions for further improvement: Some practitioners and young participants noted confusion regarding their roles in the workshops. A brief note on how this was addressed or could be mitigated in future studies may provide valuable insights for replication.

Overall, the manuscript presents a compelling and relevant study. I look forward to seeing the final version published and believe it will contribute meaningfully to research on creative interventions in mental health.

 

Author Response

Comment: “Suggestions for further improvement: Some practitioners and young participants noted confusion regarding their roles in the workshops. A brief note on how this was addressed or could be mitigated in future studies may provide valuable insights for replication.” 

Reply: 

Thank you for highlighting this, and that our learning and changes could be useful for future studies. We have added a sentence outlining what we changed to mitigate future challenges.

“Project leads met with all musicians and those facilitating the workshops to clarify the project outcomes and at the beginning of each subsequent lab, and the role of practitioners was more clearly outlined during the introductory segment.” (lines 370-373)