Resources & references

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.

This fact sheet from the American Music Therapy Association provides information about music therapy practices for substance abuse recovery. This page provides information on potential outcomes of music therapy, contraindications for music therapy, the clinical process, research areas, and a client testimonial.

What would you think if you met a person who had lost his ability to speak after having a stroke, but who could sing with perfect clarity? Harvey Alter, president and founder of the International Aphasia Movement, spoke regarding his first-hand experience on music's power to heal at the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function's 2008 Music Has Power Awards Benefit.

Click here to find out more about the therapeutic use of music in speech rehabilitation.

Pain is one of the most common and difficult symptoms to manage in adult burn patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This systematic review and meta-analysis provide an update of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) using music therapy or music medicine interventions with adult burn patients. It provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of music interventions this population. However, more high-quality RCTs are needed to establish guidelines.

This  systematic review examines existing scientific literature on the effects of music therapy on individuals living with Parkinson's disease. Results display a great diversity of evidence, confirming positive effects on in motor, communication, emotional, and cognitive skills.

A research paper offering theoretical perspectives from music therapy researchers around the world on the implications of music therapy as a recovery-oriented practice in mental health and recommendations to maximize support for recovery of mental health patients.

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.

This fact sheet from the American Music Therapy Association provides information about music therapy practices for adults with mental health and substance use challenges. This page provides information on relevant definitions and statistics, the types of mental health settings in which music therapists work, potential outcomes of music therapy, contraindications for music therapy, the clinical process, and effectiveness research.

In this video, an incredible family shares their story of how Music Therapy at Camp Kerry improved their lives after the death of their loved one.

This research article evaluated how music therapy can help children, teenagers, and young adults with cancer and blood disorders. It determined that music therapy is highly beneficial to have in an interdisciplinary team to manage symptoms and provide psychosocial care.