Group Music Therapy as a Preventive Intervention for Young People at Risk: Cluster-Randomized Trial
Gold C, Saarikallio S, Crooke AHD, McFerran KS
Journal of music therapy · 11 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Randomized controlled trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Australian Research Council
- Grants
- Australian Research Council (DP110102483)
Based on 1 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2017-01-01 · J Music Ther · vol. 54 · issue 2 · pp. 133–160
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Cited
- 82 citations · more than 97% of similar papers · 7.7× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 43 works
- Access
- Open access (repository copy)
- Research areas
- Music Therapy and Health · Neuroscience and Music Perception · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Keywords
- Rumination, Psychological intervention, Music therapy, Mental health, Psychosocial, Randomized controlled trial, Psychology, Intervention (counseling), Singing, Clinical psychology, Cluster randomised controlled trial, Active listening, Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychotherapist, Cognition
- MeSH
- humans, music therapy, depression, mental health, depressive disorder, psychotherapy, group, schools, students, music, adolescent, australia, female, male, young adult
4 authors
From NO, FI, AU
- Christian GoldUni Research (Norway)
- Suvi Helinä SaarikallioUniversity of Jyväskylä
- Alexander Hew Dale CrookeThe University of Melbourne
- Katrina Skewes McFerranThe University of Melbourne
Abstract
Background
Music forms an important part of the lives and identities of adolescents and may have positive or negative mental health implications. Music therapy can be effective for mental disorders such as depression, but its preventive potential is unknown.
Objective
The aim of this study was to examine whether group music therapy (GMT) is an effective intervention for young people who may be at risk of developing mental health problems, as indicated via unhealthy music use. The main question was whether GMT can reduce unhealthy uses of music and increase potentials for healthy uses of music, compared to self-directed music listening (SDML). We were also interested in effects of GMT on depressive symptoms, psychosocial well-being, rumination, and reflection.
Methods
In an exploratory cluster-randomized trial in Australian schools, 100 students with self-reported unhealthy music use were invited to GMT (weekly sessions over 8 weeks) or SDML. Changes in the Healthy-Unhealthy Music Scale (HUMS) and mental health outcomes were measured over 3 months.
Results
Both interventions were well accepted. No effects were found between GMT and SDML (all p > 0.05); both groups tended to show small improvements over time. Younger participants benefited more from GMT, and older ones more from SDML (p = 0.018).
Conclusions
GMT was associated with similar changes as SDML. Further research is needed to improve the processes of selecting participants for targeted interventions; to determine optimal dosage; and to provide more reliable evidence of effects of music-based interventions for adolescents.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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