Resources & references

Read an article exploring group music therapy in an Italian prison. Results indicated that song creation should be included in this context to foster the prisoners' self-expression and reflection.

A randomized controlled study examined music therapy’s impact on healthy ageing in older adults without cognitive disorders. Participants in individual, small-group, and large-group music therapy showed significant improvements in cognitive function, while the control group experienced a decline. All music therapy groups also reported reduced depressive symptoms, whereas the control group showed no change. Differences in cognitive improvements across therapy formats suggest that music therapy can be tailored to individual needs.

Click here to read a general information article discussing this study.

Read an article exploring the impact of guitar accompaniment styles on pain, hope, and therapist competence in an adult cardiovascular unit. Results showed that both simple and complex patterns reduced pain. Simple patterns were linked to slightly higher hope, while complex patterns were associated with slightly higher perceived therapist competence, though neither was statistically significant.

Read a case study about the use of improvisational music therapy for an adolescent with intensive support needs. Themes discussed include choices around structure, multi-sensory approaches, and the musical material.

Watch a video on how the music therapy team at a children's hospital supports children and their families, as well as supporting each other, through the difficulty of caring for sick children.

This study shows that maternal singing during neonatal hospitalization can reduce anxiety and support wellbeing and early bonding after preterm birth, though mothers may need guidance and privacy to feel comfortable.

Read an article exploring the use of music therapy during infusion therapy for cancer patients. Results found significant improvements in levels of anxiety, depression, tiredness, pain and wellbeing. Additionally, no significant differences were found between passive and active music therapy intervention protocols, and individuals with higher pre-session anxiety scores tended to choose passive interventions.

Watch music therapist Becky Ickes describe how she uses music therapy to support children in a pediatric hospital setting.

Read an article written by a music therapist on the ways that purposefully listening to music can help an individual. He describes his role as a music therapist and provides a case example of his work with an adult cancer patient in emotional processing.

Read an article written by music therapist/special educator, Jiří Kantor, on the unique aspects that music, as a method of connection and communication, can bring to the life and overall wellbeing of individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Discussion of the important role that music therapists can play in interdisciplinary teams for these individuals is also discussed. 

Read an article discussing the use of an online group music therapy intervention for adults undergoing cancer treatment. Results show that, in spite of the limitations of online interventions, participants found the intervention to be useful in supporting them through their treatments.

Read a case study exploring the use of music therapy and, more specifically, therapeutic songwriting, on pain management during acute pain episodes in adolescent sickle cell disease patients. Results found that active music therapy interventions were more effective at managing pain than passive interventions, and that the song written during music therapy served as a coping resource by the teen outside of the therapeutic environment.