Resources & references

This article explores the efficacy of music therapy interventions in palliative care and their therapeutic impact on physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

People with advanced dementia are at increased risk of institutionalization and experiencing distress. This study uses existing research to demonstrate that music therapy can effectively help reduce agitation and improve well-being within interpersonal contexts in long-term care.

Agitation in nursing home residents with dementia leads to a decrease in quality of life and an increase in psychotropic medication, patient distress, and caregiver burnout. This study shows that after six weeks, music therapy reduced agitation disruptiveness and prevented medication increases for persons with moderate to severe dementia.

Read about music therapist Anne Lacourse's work at the Saint Raphaël Palliative Care Home and Day Center and watch a video (1m 6s) of her peforming a song composed by one of her clients.

Learn about a child with a neurologic disorder who received music therapy services and watch interviews from the child's mother, the music therapist, and a music therapy student.

Read an article exploring the feasibilty of incorporating mindful self-compassion into music therapy sessions for patients living with chronic pain. Results highlighted the need for future research to better interpret the results, but found a general increase in levels of pain acceptance following the treatment sessions.

Read a Cochrane review on the use of music interventions for acquired brain injury. Results indicate positive effects in motor and communication/speech rehabilitation, as well as on quality of life, and that interventions lead by a qualified music therapist were more effective.

This systematic review indicates that music interventions compared to standard care may have beneficial effects on anxiety, depression, hope, pain, and fatigue in adults with cancer. The results of two trials suggest that music interventions may have a beneficial effect on anxiety in children with cancer. For several outcomes, music therapy interventions delivered by a trained music therapist led to consistent results across studies. The abstract is available in many languages. 

This video presents music therapy sessions at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in the Tertiary Palliative Care Unit led by Sheila Killoran, certified music therapist.

This video features an individual who was paralyzed due to a motor vehicle collision and participated in music therapy sessions. The video includes clips of music therapy sessions, testimonials from the patient, and interviews from certified music therapists.

Leticia Prieto Alvarez, a music therapist at Hebrew Senior Life, explains the benefits of music therapy for older adults and provides examples of active music therapy experiences in group and individual settings. 

This article explains how music therapy can help people cope with grief in a variety of ways. It can help create connection with a deceased loved one. It can help those grieving to explore spirituality (hope and meaning in life) and deal with challenging emotions. Many people have an intimate connection to the songs that have helped them through bereavement.