Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health 1

Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health

Jordan E. Durham

Salt Lake Community College

Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health 2

Introduction

A 2017 study showed that 792 million people live with a mental health disorder (Dattani,

Ritchie, Roser 2021). The World Health Organization has acknowledged that there has been

inadequate response to this growing issue amongst health systems (World Health Organization,

Mental disorders 2021). Some of the most common mental health disorders are anxiety,

depression, and mental and substance use disorders (Dattani, Ritchie, Roser 2021). This is

especially true among the adolescent demographic, specifically between the ages of 10 and 19.

With suicide as the fourth leading cause of death among older adolescents, it is crucial to find

solutions to help adolescents treat their mental health disorders (World Health Organization,

Adolescent mental health 2021).

As mental health disorder diagnoses rise worldwide, there is a need for treatment options.

One unique option is that of Music Therapy. Music Therapy is used to address the cognitive,

physical, social, and emotional needs of individuals within a therapeutic relationship context.

This type of therapy can include many different types of activities such as singing, dancing, the

creation of music, or simply listening to music that is calming or enjoyable to the listener. Per the

American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), “research in music therapy supports its

effectiveness in many areas such as: overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement,

increasing people’s motivation to become engaged in their treatment, providing emotional

support for clients and their families, and providing an outlet for expression of feelings”

(American Music Therapy Association, About music therapy & AMTA 1998).
Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health 3

Music Speaks: The Current State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health

An analysis of the four peer-reviewed articles shared similar hypotheses that music can

have a positive affect on our state of well-being. Of the four articles, three were empirical

experimental studies where music therapy or relaxation techniques were incorporated into

regular therapeutic care. The studies were done in different parts of the world, including:

Singapore, Italy, Ireland, and Turkey. This shows the universal influence of music and the need

to find treatment options for mental health disorders is prevalent on a global scale. While the

studies agree that music therapy does have a positive affect, there is significantly less research

that addresses the effects of Music Therapy on adolescents, while we see substantial research

done for the elder demographic, specifically in regards to dementia or other memory related

disorders. There is no denying the importance of addressing and managing the mental health of

our aging adults, however, there needs to be a greater emphasis made on adolescents so they are

sufficiently prepared for their adult years. With this in mind, they can be set up for success in

managing their mental health before they become part of the elderly population.

In Porter et al. (2016), the focus was on children and adolescents, specifically addressing

comorbid behaviors and the efficacy of Music Therapy in a clinical practice setting. Participants

were recruited from six different community care facilities in Northern Ireland. The study was a

multicenter single-blind randomized controlled trial with 251 participants assigned to either a

control group that received their usual care, or an experimental group that received music

therapy along with their usual care.

Volpe et al. (2018) studied the effect of music therapy for female patients, aged 18 to 65,

with psychosis during treatment at a women’s acute inpatient ward in Naples, Italy. There was an

emphasis on evaluating a structured Music Therapy program specifically in an inpatient setting

Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health 4

with biweekly group sessions of Music Therapy. The study specifically used the Hospital

Anxiety and Depression Scale, among others, to measure any improvement with depression and

anxiety, even while the participants were affected primarily by schizophrenia spectrum disorder

or bipolar disorder.

Gök Ugur et al. (2017) worked to answer what the effects of MT were on depression and

physiological parameters in residents of a nursing home located in Turkey. This 60 day study

was a randomized controlled, single-blind trial of 64 elderly people and used the Elderly

Information Form (EIF) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to track any changes in the eighth

week. The experimental group received Music Therapy Intervention three times a week for 40

minutes per session.

Klainin-Yobas et al. (2015) is a systematic literature search of 11 published journals and

four unpublished thesis or dissertations, 12 of which were randomized controlled trials. Each of

the articles describes music being used for depression and anxiety among older adults. The study

was about relaxation interventions that included various options such as yoga and breathing

techniques, with music intervention being one of these options.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

As addressed before, the geographical locations of the studies varied greatly. With

Klainin-Yobas et al. (2014) conducted in Singapore, Porter et al. (2017) in Ireland, Gök Ugur et

al. (2017) in Turkey, and Volpe et al. (2018) in Italy, there is data representation in many parts of
Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health 5

the world. This implies that humanity, as a whole, could be benefited with the global application

of music therapy for mental health concerns.

Additionally, the studies used well-established measures to control the reliability and

validity. The studies were all conducted within the last 8 years. This infers an increased interest

in addressing the various concerns surrounding mental health and a desire to find solutions to

these problems through alternative solutions or complementary solutions to pharmaceutical

options. This, paired with the variety in geographical location, shows the growing interest in

finding solutions on a universal scale for the increasing mental health crisis.

Weaknesses

The lack of research focused on younger demographics is problematic, even with the

geographic diversity seen. Gök Ugur et al. (2017) and Klainin-Yobas et al. (2014) focused solely

on aging adults and the mental health challenges they face uniquely. Volpe et al. (2018) had a

varied age demographic coupled with a limited gender demographic, working exclusively with

women aged 18 to 65. Porter et al. (2017) was the only study to examine the effects of MT in

children along with adolescents, focusing on the ages of 8 to 16.

Aside from Porter et al. (2017), the studies had relatively few participants or other

caveats that imply a narrow sample size. Gök et al. (2017) had 64 participants from one single

nursing home and Volpe et al. (2018) had 61 participants that were all female. Such sample sizes

hinder generalization and this could be improved upon for further research.

Findings

All of the studies concluded that there were statistically significant findings in support of

their hypotheses that Music Therapy is a beneficial treatment for depression and anxiety, and
Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health 6

other mental health disorders. Klainin-Yobas et al. (2014) suggested that relaxation interventions,

such as MT, may be integrated into standard care for the patients in community and hospital

settings which was similarly addressed in Gök Ugur et al. (2017), with the authors specifying the

usefulness of such programs in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Volpe et al. (2018)

stated that MT could effectively be used in emergency settings with short hospital stays. Porter et

al. (2017) was the only study to report no significant difference in regards to the Social Skills

Improvement System Rating Scales (SSIS) for children and their guardians measured at week 13

and for the guardians of adolescents aged 13 and over. It was noted that there was significant

improvement in the adolescents aged 13 and over. The results across these four studies indicate

promising evidence in favor of the application of MT in a multitude of situations.

Conclusion

I believe that more research is needed amongst younger demographics to determine the

ideal curriculum structure for adolescents who are facing a growing need for treatments,

particularly with non-pharmaceutical options to avoid hormone imbalances during the time in

their lives when they already struggle with hormone changes. There would be great benefits from

testing on larger sample sizes and there should be a focus on any differing effects across gender,

race, age, and ethnicity.There should also be a follow up plan with participants over a longer

period of time to see if the effects are long lasting effects or if the benefits are merely temporary.

Based on these results, I believe Music Therapy can be incorporated into most settings

and garner many positive results. There is more research to be done to better understand the

benefits for adolescents, however, the results are promising for the majority of participants,

regardless of age. With clinical settings, long-term care settings, and emergency settings, we see
Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health 7

the positive effects of Music Therapy across the board. For this reason, I believe that Music

Therapy should be an included part of therapeutic care for the enrichment of those struggling

with mental health disorders.

Music Speaks: The State of Research on Music Therapy and Mental Health 8

References

American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). (1998). About Music Therapy and AMTA .
American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). Retrieved November 15, 2021,
from https://www.musictherapy.org/about.

Gök Ugur, H., Yaman Aktaş, Y., Orak, O. S., Saglambilen, O., & Aydin Avci, İ. (2016).
The effect of music therapy on depression and physiological parameters in elderly
people living in a Turkish nursing home: A randomized-controlled trial. Aging &
Mental Health, 21(12), 1280–1286.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2016.1222348

Klainin-Yobas, P., Oo, W. N., Suzanne Yew, P. Y., & Lau, Y. (2015). Effects of relaxation
interventions on depression and anxiety among older adults: A systematic review.
Aging & Mental Health, 19(12), 1043–1055.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2014.997191

Porter, S., McConnell, T., McLaughlin, K., Lynn, F., Cardwell, C., Braiden, H.-J., Boylan,
J., & Holmes, V. (2016). Music therapy for children and adolescents with
behavioural and emotional problems: A randomised controlled trial. Journal of
Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(5), 586–594.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12656

Volpe, U., Gianoglio, C., Autiero, L., Marino, M. L., Facchini, D., Mucci, A., & Galderisi,
S. (2018). Acute effects of music therapy in subjects with psychosis during
inpatient treatment. Psychiatry, 81(3), 218–227.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.2018.1502559

World Health Organization. (2019, November 28). Mental disorders. World Health
Organization. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders.

World Health Organization. (2021, November 17). Adolescent mental health. World Health
Organization. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health.