Participating in drumming sessions may help people defend themselves from the stress and burnout that can cause them to leave their jobs, according to the findings of a new study.  All study participants were employees at a nursing home, an industry with an unusually high turnover rate.  When staffers at one Pennsylvania facility participated in six drumming sessions with their co-workers, however, they experienced nearly a 50-percent improvement in mood, including a decrease in feelings of fatigue, anxiety and depression.

Moreover, during the year following the drumming sessions, 49 fewer employees resigned than had the previous year, saving the facility nearly $400,000 in costs associated with training new hires.

These findings suggest that incorporating drumming circles into the lives of employees can be a cost-effective means of helping workers and reducing turnover, both in long-term care and other industries, study author Dr. Barry Bittman said.  Source: Advances in Mind-Body Medicine, Fall/Winter 2003.