ABSTRACT University students require resilience to adapt to challenges and transitions. Using a pre/posttest design, this study examined the impact of a one-time music therapy intervention on resilience and affect in 36 undergraduates, comparing continuing students with final-year students. Before and after a one-time group music therapy session, students completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule. Results found a significant increase in resilience and positive affect, along with a decrease in negative affect following the music intervention. This pretest/posttest design provides important knowledge on the intersections of resilience, undergraduate students, and music therapy. Implications for best practices in supporting university student mental health with practical, engaging, and meaningful tools, such as music therapy, are discussed.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is increasingly recognised as an essential tool for supporting people with communication access needs, including within music therapy. AAC includes a variety of methods that enhance or serve as spoken communication, functioning as either a supplementary (augmentative) tool or a primary (alternative) communication approach. Integrating AAC into music therapy practice fosters disability-affirming practice by reducing communication barriers and creating accessible, inclusive spaces for self-expression and autonomy. This position paper explores the theoretical and practical intersections of AAC and music therapy through the lens of the biopsychosocial model, the social model of disability and the principles of Universal Design for Learning, illustrating how music therapists can actively contribute to dismantling systemic barriers through disability-affirming practice. We advocate for embedding AAC into music therapy higher degree education, further professional development opportunities, increased interdisciplinary collaboration, and the adoption of disability-affirming practices in order to further the integration of AAC into music therapy praxis. Our perspective is informed by our positioning as music therapy academics and practitioners with sustained engagement in AAC across practice, education and collaborative contexts.

Individuals with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) require multiple levels of care and support for recovery. Moreover, people with SUDs must adopt a new way of living which fosters meaning, personal growth, and connection with others to sustain ongoing sobriety. Research suggests that spirituality can often play an integral role for persons in recovery. There is a paucity of research which examines music therapy’s efficacy for addressing the spiritual health needs of individuals with SUDs. A survey was conductedto learn more about how, and if music therapists in the United States are treating the spiritual health needs of people with SUDs. Music therapists reported that “connection with others” and “exploring relationship with self” were the most common spiritual health goals addressed in music therapy. Song discussion and lyric analysis were the most used methods to address spiritual goals. The United States’ imperative for the “Gold Standard” of evidence-based practice and its potential influence on music therapy treatment are considered and explored in the context of spiritual health needs. The present study can help to broaden the knowledge base of current trends in music therapy practice in meeting the spiritual health needs for persons with SUDs, as well as provide recommendations for future research, and music therapy educators in the United States. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Jingwen Zhang for her support and invaluable feedback. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. Annie Heiderscheit and Jim Borling, for their input which was used to help construct aspects of this study’s survey questionnaire, as well as their encouragement and support. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Kathleen Murphy, whose endless support and inspiration helped me to fulfill this project.

Introduction: Treatment for individuals living with chronic pain often aims to shift patients from helplessness to resourcefulness, fostering self-efficacy. This study tested the feasibility of integrating Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) techniques into music therapy (MT) and explored their potential effects on pain experience, acceptance, and self-compassion.Method: In a convergent parallel mixed-methods feasibility study, adults with chronic pain attended weekly individual MT sessions. Quantitative measures included the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, and a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, assessed at baseline and post-therapy. Focused interviews provided qualitative data, analyzed thematically, according to Braun and Clarke (2006, 2021). Pre-and post-results were compared using descriptive and non-parametric statistics.Results: Feasibility in terms of recruitment could be shown, with some challenges in retention and compliance, with eight participants (n = 8) completing the whole study. Qualitative findings highlighted the value of MT, with participants reporting moments of self-care, refocusing, and exploring their pain and emotions with a validating and accepting attitude. While no substantial changes were observed in the SCS or pain perception, there was a tendency for increased pain acceptance.Discussion:This study was the first to integrate MSC within MT. Despite the small sample size, feasibility was demonstrated. Although generalizability is limited, these findings may offer a foundation for future research on combining MSC and MT for chronic pain management.

This research was conducted in Santiago, Chile, between March 2022 and June 2023, with a group of eight men aged 35 to 50, who were members of a popular social organization focused on public health who denounce the current crisis and advocate for equitable public health services. Existing literature demonstrated music’s capacity to support emotional expression and challenge hegemonic masculinity. However, research integrating these perspectives within a community music therapy framework remains scarce, particularly in popular social organizational contexts. The purpose of the current study was to collectively rethink masculinity through processes of emotional expression. Using a qualitative methodology grounded in action research, the study employed ethnographic tools, grounded theory analysis, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and data triangulation. The study occurred over the course of 15 months with 26 sessions, utilizing all four core music therapy experiences (i.e., improvisation, recreation, composition, and receptive listening; Bruscia, 2014). There were five phases to the study: (1) preparation, (2) community work, (3) implementation, (4) closure, and (5) follow-up. The current researchers highlighted the creation of a collective space for reflecting on the construction of masculinity, emotional awareness, and expression. Additionally, the process created opportunities to share experiences with other organizations and to develop a masculinity-focused workshop. The community music therapy approach facilitated the appropriation and deconstruction of masculinity through emotional expression and collective reflection. Acknowledgements To the Maipú Health Committee for never stopping believing in this project.

This essay explores links and tensions between Western music therapy and the Senegalese Ndëpp healing ritual, asking how bridges can be built across cultural frameworks. Reflections draw on the author’s fieldwork in Senegal and Europe, supported by an interdisciplinary review of music therapy, psychiatry, sociology, and ethnology literature. Parallels emerge in the use of rhythm, song, and ritual, yet fundamental differences remain: Western music therapy predominantly focuses on the individual, while Ndëpp is rooted in community and spirituality. These contrasts expose the limits of Western categories when applied cross-culturally. The author recommends music therapists to adopt culturally sensitive approaches, engage with local traditions, and critically reflect on their own positionality. Interdisciplinary dialogue can foster more authentic, equitable, and inclusive therapeutic practices.

This study addresses how the local practices, traditions, and perspectives surrounding the use of music in early caregiver–child relationships are articulated by local musicians, singers, and health workers in the context of Bhutan. This small Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayan region with historical, religious, and cultural ties to Tibet is undergoing rapid transformations influenced by globalization. A qualitative research design was employed to explore the topic, using individual semi-structured interviews. The study was conducted from the viewpoint of a Western-trained music therapist and also involved local collaborators. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings reveal existing customs and practices similar to those recognized in Western literature as musical interactions between caregivers and children, and they emphasize how music can create unique opportunities for children’s social participation in various contexts. The results highlight the effects of globalization on the role of music, showing that factors such as technology, migration, and the influx of new ideas are influencing children’s access to music, the ways in which music is practiced by children and caregivers, and traditional events. The discussion is framed around music as an inborn capacity, aligning with the concept of communicative musicality, and is viewed through an ecological perspective of music in addition to the concept of “scapes” to comprehend the evolving musical landscape in Bhutan. AcknowledgementsI would like to thank the Norwegian Academy of Music and my supervisors, Dr. Gro Trondalen and Dr. Sidsel Karlsen, for their guidance and support. Special thanks to Dr. Neyzang Wangmo for her guidance and mentorship throughout this project; to Mr. Jigme Drukpa for his support with recruiting and interviewing; and to the Community Health Department of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Referral Hospital and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan for their openness and cooperation, which made this researchpossible. Most importantly, I am grateful to the participants who shared their stories and perspectives—your contributions were essential to this study. FundingThe Progreso Foundation funded this research.

A prospective randomized controlled trial on the effect of music therapy intervention on pain and anxiety in adult patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty.

Music therapy and Benson relaxation in postoperative care: A randomized controlled trial on pain and kinesiophobia after lumbar discectomy.

The application of generative artificial intelligence in music composition has opened new possibilities for personalized therapeutic interventions. This study proposes a music-therapy system based on an emotion-conditioned Cycle-Consistent Generative Adversarial Network (CycleGAN). By embedding the user’s real-time emotional vectors into the residual blocks of the generator, the system precisely guides the style-transfer process, thereby producing new musical segments that simultaneously exhibit therapeutic properties, the target style, and the desired emotional coloration. The system explicitly establishes a mapping between emotional states and acoustic features-such as spectral centroid, rhythmic intensity, and harmonic complexity. For example, a high “calmness” score corresponds to a lower spectral centroid, more stable rhythms, and simpler harmonic progressions, ensuring that the generated music remains acoustically aligned with the therapeutic objective. The system employs unpaired data training and cycle-consistency learning to achieve style conversion while preserving the integrity of musical content. Experiments are conducted on the ComMU dataset, which includes therapeutic, classical, and light music samples. The results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms Pix2Pix, Unified Neural Translation (UNIT), and StyleGAN in terms of Fréchet Audio Distance (FAD), Spectral Convergence (SC), Content Consistency Error (CCE), pitch fidelity, rhythm consistency, and style matching. CycleGAN exhibits stable performance across the training, validation, and test sets, showing strong generalization ability and high training efficiency. The findings indicate that the proposed system provides a high-quality solution for personalized music therapy generation and offers a practical framework for AI-driven therapeutic music applications.

Preoperative anxiety is a common condition that can negatively impact patient compliance, pain tolerance, and anesthesia management. Traditional pharmacological treatments include sedatives and anxiolytics, but these can cause adverse effects, such as respiratory issues. Non-pharmacological approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), aromatherapy, and music therapy have also been explored but they require pathways of variable duration that may delay surgery. Virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a promising alternative, allowing patients to engage in immersive experiences that distract them from anxiety-inducing stimuli. A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the impact of VR on preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain in patients undergoing elective surgery. A total of 355 patients were randomized into two groups: Group A received entertainment videos via VR headset during the preoperative phase, while Group B received standard care. The primary outcome was the change in STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) scores at baseline, preoperatively, and postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included pain assessment using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results showed no significant difference in baseline anxiety scores between the two groups. However, both preoperative and postoperative STAI scores were significantly lower in the VR group (p = 0.001 and 0.005, respectively). Additionally, 12h post-surgery, patients in the VR group reported significantly lower pain scores (3.6 ± 1.3 vs. 5.6 ± 1.6, p = 0.001). No significant differences in pain scores were observed at 24 and 48h post-surgery. VR could represent a useful aid in the management of preoperative anxiety.

This study proposes an artificial intelligence-based individualized music therapy system targeting the emotional and memory functions of the elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The system can realtime identify users' emotional states and then dynamically adjusts music intervention content accordingly. Thus, it achieves emotional regulation and auxiliary improvement of memory functions. The study innovatively proposes an emotion recognition method based on prefrontal Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The system adopts a feature fusion strategy of 6-lead prefrontal EEG and HRV, and uses the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm to achieve emotion classification. In addition, a closed-loop system of "emotion recognition-music intervention" is constructed, enabling the system to instantly adjust the type and parameters of played music according to the emotional changes of the elderly. In the experiment involving 60 elderly MCI patients, the system can complete high-precision emotion recognition with only 6 leads, which greatly simplifies the equipment complexity. Results show that the average accuracy of emotion recognition by the proposed method reaches 89.7%, which is significantly higher than 83.3% of the single EEG method and 76.6% of the single HRV method. This study verifies the core role of the prefrontal lobe region in emotional processing and provides an engineering basis for simplifying the emotion recognition system.

The number of individuals diagnosed with depression continues to rise, with most patients unwilling to pursue medication or electroconvulsive therapy. This study proposes a simple, non-invasive, and side-effect-free approach for alleviating de-pressive emotions through music therapy, utilizing three types of auditory stimuli: Classical music, Baroque music, and ASMR soundscapes. EEG data were record-ed throughout the sessions, and depression levels were evaluated before and after intervention using the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. A total of 38 university students with varying depressive tendencies participated in the experiment. Results revealed that Classical music produced statistically significant and medium-to-large effect sizes, confirming its strong therapeutic potential. Ba-roque music showed moderate improvement, while ASMR yielded minimal and non-significant effects. EEG analyses further indicated that Baroque music en-hanced emotional stabilization through Alpha and Beta band modulation, while overall brain activity gradually shifted toward Delta and Theta frequencies, reflect-ing deep relaxation and stress relief. In addition, music preference emerged as a key factor influencing emotional outcomes, highlighting the importance of person-alized auditory engagement. Overall, the findings support music therapy as an ef-fective non-pharmacological intervention for emotional regulation and depression prevention, offering potential for integration into digital mental health and EEG-based self-regulation systems.

This paper focuses on exploring the impact of educational interventions integrating music therapy on enhancing family support for cancer patients and their subsequent effects on patient rehabilitation, with a core aim to address two key research questions: 1) Can a comprehensive educational intervention program—integrating online courses, offline workshops, one-on-one consultations, and music therapy modules (music meditation, music-assisted communication)—designed from a psychological perspective to target family members’ cognition, care skills, coping abilities, and family communication, significantly improve the multi-dimensional level of family support (including cognitive, emotional, and practical support) for cancer patients? 2) Through which psychological pathways do the traditional educational modules and music therapy modules respectively exert effects, and how do they synergistically influence the rehabilitation outcomes of cancer patients? The study adopted a randomized controlled trial design, recruiting 120 pairs of cancer patients and their family members, who were randomly divided into an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). The IG received an 8-week comprehensive intervention integrating educational content and music therapy, while the CG received routine care. Results showed that the family support level of the IG continued to improve significantly during the intervention period—with the high music participation subgroup showing a more pronounced enhancement—and the patients’ rehabilitation status (including rehabilitation progress, treatment adherence, and complication incidence) was notably superior to that of the CG. Questionnaire surveys, in-depth interviews, medical record reviews, and physiological indicator tests (salivary cortisol) collectively confirmed the positive effects of the intervention, particularly the independent value of music therapy in relieving emotional stress and strengthening emotional bonds. The research concludes that educational interventions integrating music therapy can effectively enhance the multi-dimensional family support for cancer patients through the synergistic effect of “ability building (educational modules) + emotional motivation (music modules)” and promote their rehabilitation, providing strong evidence and practical support for the clinical application of such integrated intervention programs.

Older adults are at risk of having their stories defined for them based on cultural expectations about the values and preferences of certain generations. In music therapy, these expectations can manifest in assumptions about how older adults relate to and engage with music. The resulting conflict between the authentic story and the assumed story is transgenerational narrative distortions where members of one generation disrupt, destabilise and deconstruct the lived experiences of another generation through a cultural projection of values, expectations and perspectives. Older adults stand to benefit from a process of narrative repair amplifying their authentic stories through a focus on whole persons defined by past, present and future experiences. Narratology provides a theoretical structure for shaping narrative repair processes through the theoretical constructs of 'historical epics' and 'novel': whereas historical epics frame the past as fixed and unmoving, novels understand characters to be in continuous evolution. Older adults in music therapy who are received as novels are subsequently empowered to continue forming identity through the full spectrum of their life. Clinical vignettes are provided to illustrate the harms of narrative distortions in music therapy, and how narrative repair can be reflexively integrated into culturally responsible assessment and clinical decision-making. Recommendations for clinicians include (A) Continued exploration of aspirational cultural humility, particularly as it relates to messaging about age and identity formation, (B) Development of reflexive assessments that navigate multiple areas of knowledge to determine health-optimising music experiences for older adults, and (C) Expansion of the repertories and intervention designs introduced in music therapy.

ABSTRACT Introduction Tinnitus describes the acoustic perception of sounds or noises without an external sound source. Comorbid affective symptoms often occur and have a negative impact on the experience of tinnitus. Despite the high prevalence of chronic tinnitus, there is still no universal treatment. Given the proven effectiveness of music therapy in treating mental disorders, our goal was to use music therapy to reduce the burden of tinnitus. Methods In a single group pre-experimental design with pre (T0), post (T1) and follow-up (T2, after six months) measures, the effectiveness of outpatient group music therapy on the subjective burden of chronic tinnitus was investigated. A professional music therapist applied an internally developed multimodal concept of music therapy, relaxation techniques, and psychodynamic talk therapy over 10 weekly sessions of 90 minutes each. Tinnitus severity was recorded using the Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (Mini-TF), the impairment by tinnitus (TBF-12) and stress due to affective disorders (BSI). Results The subjective burden of tinnitus (n = 78) was significantly reduced by at least one degree in 60% of recruited participants (f = 0.67), which was further enhanced six months later through self-application of the techniques (95% confidence intervals). The emotional-cognitive impairment was significantly reduced (f = 0.48). This effect was not achieved indirectly through a reduction in comorbid affective disorders. Discussion Our results suggest that outpatient group music therapy may reduce the subjective burden of tinnitus regardless of accompanying emotional stress. This treatment complements existing concepts for chronic tinnitus in individual settings and represents a resource-efficient alternative.

Anxiety is a common issue among non-acute surgical fracture patients. Non-pharmacological interventions are needed. This meta-analysis aims to synthesize evidence on the efficacy of music therapy for anxiety reduction in this population. To evaluate the effect of music therapy on anxiety in non-acute surgical fracture patients. We systematically searched CNKI, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, VIP, and MEDLINE databases for randomized controlled trials. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. The primary outcome was anxiety scores measured by standardized scales. Twelve randomized-controlled trials comprising 1257 patients (628 receiving music therapy, 629 in control groups) are included. Music therapy markedly reduces anxiety [the standardized mean difference (SMD) = -2.09, 95%confidence interval (CI): -2.63 to -1.55), P < 0.001], pain (SMD = -2.22, 95%CI: -3.39 to -1.05, P < 0.001) and depression (SMD = -2.05, 95%CI: -3.75 to -1.25, P < 0.001) vs standard care. Music therapy significantly reduces anxiety in non-acute surgical fracture patients and should be considered as a complementary therapy.

Background/Objectives: The incidence of dementia and the concurrent burden on healthcare will increase with a population that continues to age. Pharmaceutical interventions for dementia carry negative side effects, ineffectively treat underlying causes, and fail to prevent disease onset. Therefore, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as music therapy should to be explored as a standalone or co-therapy for dementia. Music therapy improves cognitive symptoms of dementia; however, the neural mechanisms underpinning these improvements are not fully understood. Methods: To investigate potential neural mechanisms, six participants with dementia completed the Standardised Mini Mental State Examination, an n-back task, and magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanning before and after a music therapy program structured around improving executive functioning. Results: After music therapy, scores on an n-back task improved, and the MEG data revealed increased connectivity in neural networks and areas associated with compensation during executive functioning tasks. Connectivity results suggest there is preliminary evidence that music therapy improves cognitive symptoms of dementia by activating compensatory neural networks and areas; however, given the small sample size, these results should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions: The results of this hypotheses study present music therapy as a potentially viable short-term intervention which may operate by targeting compensatory neural networks and could be a long-term intervention that incorporates positive modifiable lifestyle factors, protecting the brain from dementia.

Dementia prevalence continues to rise, predicted to reach 150 million by 2050, making development of effective, person-centred, non-pharmacological interventions an urgent healthcare priority. Music therapy and music (MTAM) are increasingly recognised as low-cost options to alleviate behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), particularly in acute hospital environments. This scoping review evaluates national dementia strategies and clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to determine how far MTAM are acknowledged as formal components of dementia care. A scoping review of databases identified the most recent national clinical strategies or CPGs for people with dementia (PWD), published between 2015 and 2025. Using the PRISMA guidelines in June 2025, with pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria we examined four databases, supplemented with an internet search and reference snowballing. National strategies and CPGs that included MTAM were examined in more detail. Of the 37 national strategies or CPGs, 19 were eligible for inclusion, identified from 16 countries. Although non-pharmacological interventions were widely endorsed, only seven guidelines referenced MTAM, and fewer acknowledged its potential value in hospital. In contrast, interventions such as occupational therapy, reminiscence therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy appeared far more frequently. Further analysis was not in the scope of this review. Our findings underscore the gap between emerging evidence supporting music-based interventions and its inclusion in national policy. These findings highlight the need for further robust research demonstrating the benefit of MTAM for PWD to strengthen future policy recommendations and promote integration of music-based approaches in dementia care.

A music psychotherapy-based assessment protocol was implemented to guide the treatment of vulnerable participants experiencing depression. Through the AMEND Lab, we created opportunities to support at-risk populations using relationship-centered music therapy. The current study examined whether such therapy delivered over a three-month period could improve well-being, as indexed by self-reported depressive symptoms and resilience. Our sample (n = 72, 50 women, mean age = 38 years, SD = 24 years) included children, teenagers and college students, adults whose neonates were recently in intensive care, and adults with mild cognitive impairment. Results indicated that individuals in the treatment group demonstrated decreases in depression and increases in resilience, whereas the control group showed no such improvements. These findings suggest that culturally relevant psycho-emotional characteristics expressed through live music therapy assessment may provide clinicians with an important resource when working with individuals who experience depression and diminished resilience. We hope these methods will strengthen future efforts to identify, recognize, and understand the ways in which music can support the assessment of resources which influence well-being across diverse populations. Such approaches may offer health professionals ways to integrate music as an accessible, social, cost-effective, and complementary assessment tool that will lead toward enhanced identification of issues that provide for a variety of treatment options.