Resources & references

This study employed an online survey to investigate current approaches, clinical interventions, and outcome measures used by music therapists working with young children with acquired communication impairments (ACIs)  to address language- and communication-oriented goals. Among the diverse range of interventions employed by music therapists, song singing, vocal improvisation, and music and play emerged as the most effective techniques for supporting individuals with ACIs in achieving their goals. 

The article describes an innovative method of facilitating grief resolution using precomposed music that is significant to the patient after a major loss. In this method, music is of equal importance with verbal processing as part of the overall therapeutic approach. Musical improvization is also used as a primary tool to reflect back to, and affirm for, the patient the affective content of his or her life story. 

This article describes a qualitative single-case study of the treatment of a woman having problems with grief and finding a personal identity. The music therapist used several techniques of improvisation to support the client's cautious steps into a new musical and a new personal world.

This article provides background information on visual impairments and the impact of these disorders on social connectedness, activities of daily living, mood, quality of life, and child development. Implications and potential for music therapy for visually-impaired children and adults are discussed.

Legacy work is the process of creatively expressing and documenting one's life, with the goal of leaving the legacy for future generations. Music therapists can offer unique opportunities to create legacy work due to the music medium that is the basis of their work. Three contrasting case studies, incorporating patient, family and therapist perspectives, are presented to illustrate music therapy legacy work.

This research article investigates the effects of music therapy for adults with chronic and progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) based on current studies. The results prove that music therapy addresses emotional, physical, and interpersonal challenges that come from acquired disabilities.

Depression, agitation, and wandering are common behaviors associated with dementia and frequently observed among nursing home residents. The results of this study suggest widespread use of music therapy in long-term care settings may be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and agitation.

The main objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy to manage pain and anxiety during labor. The primary outcomes were measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Music therapy seems to have beneficial effects on pain intensity and anxiety during labor, especially for women giving birth for the first time. 

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of a single music therapy session to reduce pain in palliative care patients. This research validates that a single music therapy intervention incorporating therapist-guided autogenic relaxation and live music was effective in lowering pain in palliative care patients.

Music therapy has been a known positive and impactful intervention for adults with memory loss, but previous research and program reports have focused mainly on residents in long-term care facilities. In this study, a caregiver survey was utilized to learn how Music Therapy Respite, a community-based drop-in program, benefited caregivers and their care partner and if this changed based on attendance in a professionally led support group.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of music therapy support groups (MTSG) on physical, psychological, and social functioning of cancer patients and caregivers. A mixed-methods approach was used, including an experimental, randomized, controlled trial and qualitative data from participant comments. The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant changes pre- to post-session in (a) pain in three sessions; (b) mood, stress, and anxiety in all six sessions; and (c) quality of life in two sessions.

This research article reviewed existing studies to evaluate the efficacy of music therapy in supporting adults going through cancer treatment. The results showed that music therapy was effective in improving psychosocial wellbeing, pain management, and enhancing quality of life.