Resources & references

Read an article exploring the use of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music with blind/visually impaired individuals, including the adaptations required for employing this method within this population. 

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.

This study explores the sociodemographic, clinical and intervention characteristics associated with clinically significant pain reductions for adults within a single music therapy session. Findings suggest that interventions involving singing, active instrument play, and relaxation/imagery may be more effective than interventions only involving listening. 

Click here to read a news article about the study.

This article presents three cases of military members, ex-child soldiers, and veterans in telehealth music therapy, showing positive responses and reductions in pain, anxiety, and depression, alongside key clinical, ethical, and technological insights.

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.

This mixed-methods pilot study investigated whether nine Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)® sessions via telehealth would improve motor and attention skills in autistic children. The improvements in motor skills and positive caregiver and therapist views of telehealth indicate that NMT motor interventions administered via telehealth are a promising avenue of therapeutic support for movement skill development in autistic children.

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.

This article provides a review of current studies on music therapy interventions and children with acquired brain injury (ABI). The results explore the benefits of music therapy interventions, the use of music therapy as a motivator, and professional collaboration.

This study describes an interprofessional intervention program, combining the expertise of an occupational therapist and of a music therapist to systematically teach piano keyboarding to preschool children with impaired vision. We conducted a small, mixed methods non-randomized pilot case study to determine how such a program could be successfully embedded into a preschool setting, to examine if fine motor skills improve post-intervention, and to study the perceived effects on participants and their families.

The Discovering Relationship Using Music, Beliefs, Emotions, Attitudes & Thoughts (DRUMBEAT) program used drumming as a way of engaging at risk youth in a form of musical expression, while simultaneously incorporating themes and discussions relating to healthy relationships with others. The results support the underlying program theory, that combining the therapeutic potential of musical expression with basic cognitive–behavioural therapy can be used successfully to deliver a range of social learning outcomes, including emotional control, improved relationships and increased self-esteem.

This paper conceptualises songwriting as an ‘after-queer’ approach for exploring notions of gender and sexuality with young people. The article draws on songs created by seven groups of young people in music-based workshops which took place in schools with participants aged between 14–17. Songwriting was used to explore the participants' imaginings of what gender might look like in their "perfect world". The paper highlights the value of creative and arts-based methodologies in queer research, through which expansion and questions of possibility, alternative, and identity can be raised and responded to.

This research article presents a case study of an adult man with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who participated in music therapy sessions. The results determined that music improvisation improved affect regulation, exploration of trauma-related issues, and self-agency.