Music Therapy Treatment of Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents in Short-Term Inpatient Psychiatric Settings

Abstract

Music therapists work with adolescents in inpatient psychiatric settings. While diagnoses of adolescents admitted to inpatient psychiatric settings range from psychoses to mood disorders, depressive symptoms are a prevalent problem. Some of the adolescents are admitted to inpatient psychiatric settings with Major Depressive Disorder, while others have symptoms of depression along with other diagnoses. There is a lack of current data about the music therapy treatment of depressive symptoms in these situations. Thus, this study sought to determine the goals and methods of music therapists working to treat depressive symptoms in adolescents in short-term inpatient psychiatric settings, as well as music therapists’ perceptions of the most important factors that influence successful treatment of depressive symptoms in adolescents. A survey completed by 36 board certified music therapists yielded information about the practices of music therapists working in the milieu of the short-term inpatient setting. Results show that the top goals of music therapists are to increase ability to cope with negative feelings/mood states, increase positive social interaction, and increase self-esteem. Responding music therapists reported most frequently using the methods of lyric analysis, rhythmic improvisation, and music listening. They found lyric analysis, rhythmic improvisation, and songwriting to be the most effective methods to treat depressive symptoms in adolescents in short-term inpatient psychiatric settings.%%%%M.A., Music Therapy – Drexel University, 2013