Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T13:54:51.466Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Music therapy in the treatment and management of mental disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Jane Edwards
Jane Edwards*
Affiliation:
Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: An increasing number of research studies support the benefits of providing music therapy in addition to standard treatment for people who have mental disorders. The objective of this paper was to review and summarise recent research findings in relation to this work.

Method: A review of music therapy studies published since 1994 was undertaken. Criteria for including papers were that they a) were published in English in an indexed, peer-reviewed journal, and b) were conducted as a randomised controlled trial (RCT) or a controlled trial (CT), or c) provided a meta-analysis of existing studies. The large number of papers pertaining to music therapy for older adults who have mental disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia was not included.

Results: The findings support a role for music therapy as a structured interaction that patients are able to use to participate successfully, manage some of their symptoms, and express feelings relating to their experiences. Music therapy is demonstrated to be a beneficial intervention for people who have enduring mental illness. Music therapy invites and encourages participation from people of lower functioning levels and employs a non-verbal medium with which people have prior positive associations and in most cases have lifelong experience of using music for self-expression and pleasure. Additionally, the available peer reviewed literature supports the proposition that clinical outcomes are available through the use of music therapy intervention in conjunction with standard, well-established treatment methods.

Conclusions: Music therapy is beneficial for patients receiving care for mental disorders and establishing this therapy within mental health service provision should be considered.

Keywords

Music therapyPsychotherapyPsychotic disordersTherapeutics in mental disorders.
Type
Reviews
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , March 2006 , pp. 33 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Odell-Miller, H. Why provide Music Therapy in the community for adults with mental health problems? British Journal of Music Therapy. 1995; 9: 4–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Davies, A, Richards, E. Music Therapy in acute psychiatry. British Journal of Music Therapy. 1998;12:53–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.de l'Etoile, S. The effectiveness of music therapy in group psychotherapy for adults with mental illness. The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2002; 29(2): 69–78CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Gold, C, Heldal, T, Dahle, T, Wigram, T. Music Therapy for schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like illnesses. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2005; Art no.: CD004025. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.Google Scholar
5.Silverman, M. The influence of music on the symptoms of psychosis: A meta-analysis. Journal of Music Therapy. 2003; 40(1):27–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Pavlicevic, M, Trevarthen, C, Duncan, J. Improvisational music therapy and the rehabilitation of persons suffering from chronic schizophrenia. Journal of Music Therapy. 1994;31 (2):86–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Tang, W, Yao, X, Zheng, Z. Rehabilitative effect of music therapy for residual schizophrenia. A one-month randomised controlled trial in Shanghai. British Journal of Psychiatry Suppl. 1994; Aug;(24):38–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Yang, W, Li, Z, Weng, Y, Zhang, H, Bio, M. Psychosocial rehabilitation effects of music therapy in chronic schizophrenia. Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry. 1988;8:38–40.Google Scholar
9.Hayashi, N, Tanabe, Y, Nakagawa, S, Noguchi, M, Iwata, C, Koubucht, Y, Watanabe, M & Okui, M. Effects of group musical therapy on inpatients with chronic psychoses: A controlled study. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2002; 56:187–93CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Shergill, S, Murray, R, McGuire, P. Auditory hallucinations: A review of psychological treatments. Schizophrenia Research. 1998;32:137–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Trainor, L, McDonald, K, Alain, C. Automatic and controlled processing of melodic contour and interval information measured by electrical brain activity. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 2002; 14(3): 430–442.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Bertling, R, Harenbrock, S, Agelink, M. Music hearing preferences of psychiatric in-patients. European Psych 1998 13 (Suppl 4): 252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Gold, C, Heldal, T, Dahle, T, Wigram, T. Music Therapy for schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like illnesses. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2005; Art no.:CD004025. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.Google Scholar
14.Field, T, Martinez, A, Nawrocki, T, Pickens, J, Fox, N, Schanberg, S. Music shifts frontal EEG in depressed adolescents. Adolescence. 1998, 34; 529–534Google Scholar
15.Field, T. Maternal depression effects on infants and early interventions. Preventive Medicine. 1998;27:200–203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Hsu, W. & Lai, H. Effects of music on major depression in psychiatric inpatients. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 2004; 18. 193–199CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Berger, D, Schneck, D. The use of Music Therapy as a clinical intervention for physiologic functional adaptation. J- Scientif Exploration. 2003; 17, 687–703.Google Scholar