Author: Charles Frank

Music Therapy & Substance Abuse Treatment

For example, if you’re experiencing depression, you may hope to use music to naturally improve your mood and increase your happiness. You may also want to try applying music therapy to other symptoms of depression like anxiety, insomnia, or trouble focusing. Only one study out of three studies (33%) for this outcome, was of low level evidence of efficacy, i.e., a case study not including a CG 40.

Silverman 30,32,37 conducted three different RCTs examining craving and/or withdrawal in patients addicted to various drugs (e.g., alcohol, heroine, prescription drugs and cocaine). A meta-analysis was not conducted because all results were reported by the same author. Many people in recovery from addiction have made music therapy a part of their long-term recovery program. Learning to use this powerful tool with the help of an experienced music therapist is just one benefit that newly recovered addicts receive by participating in a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program.

Results of quantitative MT/ MBI studies separated by outcomes

Your therapist may encourage you to improvise, or they may have a set structure for you to follow. Studies with effect or no effect compared to control group (CG) were classified as of high level evidence of efficacy (black and dark grey bars). Studies reporting insufficient statistical data to conduct meta-analyses and without CG were classified as of low level evidence of efficacy (light grey bars). We considered studies that included patients or clients with SUD, regardless of age, gender or comorbid disorders. If it was unclear whether all participants suffered from SUD (e.g., a study on residents and staff members of a rehabilitation center 26), those studies were excluded.

Knowing this, it comes as no surprise that music therapy is now taking a larger role in health and healing. While there are many benefits to using music therapy for physical and mental well-being, it also can be a useful tool in addiction treatment. Music therapy provides a broad range of effects for people with SUDs, from neurobiological to social and cultural levels (Aldridge 2010). Music therapists are informed by an awareness of the neurobiological impacts of music on human emotions and behaviour, and consider this level of influence as they engage with participants in music‐making.

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Within each music therapy session, interactions between therapist and participant are designed to “motivate and sustain the client’s engagement in the therapeutic music process” and to move them closer to therapeutic goals (Bruscia 2014, p.37). Furthermore, sessions and music therapy approaches are sequenced over time in direct relation to the participant’s needs and readiness, building upon their resources and introducing therapeutic challenges when appropriate (Bruscia 2014). This treatment has proven to help manage various conditions, including stress, anxiety, depression, cardiac disorders, memory issues, autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia. Mental health recovery has a close association with this treatment when it comes to providing therapeutic approaches to help people with substance abuse and mental health disorders.

1. Sessions are managed by qualified music therapists who design treatments according to the needs of a group or individual.
2. Similarly, music therapy that incorporates movement or dancing may not be a good fit if you’re experiencing pain, illness, injury, or a physical condition that makes it difficult to exercise.
3. The Information Specialist of the Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group (CDAG) will develop and apply search strategies for electronic searches.
4. If you express anger or stress, your music therapist might respond by having you listen to or create music with slow, soft, soothing tones.

In addition to that, only few studies reported standardized effect sizes 31–37,39,41, so the effects of MT/ MBI could hardly be interpreted and compared across studies. In addition to that, as described in the paragraphs above, high-quality research for outcomes related to skills, group interaction and relationships has not been conducted although these aspects are important topics mentioned in qualitative research. Thus, future studies should investigate variables such as cognitive abilities, group cohesion or medical symptoms among others.

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An estimated one in every six problem drug users worldwide receives the necessary treatment; if all problem drug users sought treatment, the resulting cost would represent 0.3% to 0.4% of the global gross domestic product (INCB 2013). Although the economic burden of treatment is considerable, the costs of crime‐related and healthcare provision for untreated problem drug use remain far higher than that of prevention and treatment (INCB 2013). Our writers and reviewers are experienced professionals in medicine, addiction treatment, and healthcare. AddictionResource fact-checks all the information before publishing and uses only credible and trusted sources when citing any medical data. The Verified badge on our articles is a trusted sign of the most comprehensive scientifically-based medical content.If you have any concern that our content is inaccurate or it should be updated, please let our team know at email protected. Six techniques used in music therapy include guided imagery and music, neurologic music therapy, the Bonny method of guided imagery and music, vocal music therapy, community music therapy, and receptive music therapy.

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Music therapy can be highly personalized, making it suitable for people of any age—even very young children can benefit. It’s also versatile and offers benefits for people with a variety of musical experience levels and with different mental or physical health challenges. First, according to the Cochrane systematic review guidelines 23, combining studies that use different types of control conditions may lead to meaningless results. After separating the studies per type of control condition, there were too few studies per outcome to allow for meta-analysis. Second, predominantly including studies by the same authors in the same meta-analysis would violate the assumption of independence of study reports 28.

Regarding the diagnosis, many samples included various drug addictions, i.e., polydrug abuse. Other studies only focused on chemical dependency 20,42,47, alcohol 45,50,60 or inhalant abuse 40. Not considering the case study, sample size ranged from 8 participants 42,47 to 188 participants 49 for the quantitative studies, and from 3 participants 59 to 20 participants 55 for the qualitative studies. When studies account for clustering in their analysis, inclusion of the data in meta‐analysis is straightforward. If clustering is not accounted for in an included study, we will attempt to contact the study investigators to obtain the intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) of their clustered data, and will use accepted methods for handling such data. If we are unable to obtain the ICC, we will use external estimates from similar studies (Higgins 2011).

Music therapy and addiction have a very intimate relationship that tremendously helps those in recovery. We plan to test for asymmetry of funnel plots when at least 10 studies are included in a meta‐analysis, and to explore likely reasons for asymmetry when it is present. We will make up to three attempts to contact investigators by email to request missing data. We intend to follow intention‐to‐treat principles and to include all known data from all randomised participants.

In receptive music therapy, the individuals listen to music provided by the therapist. The therapist encourages them to reflect on the emotions and memories evoked by the music or to engage in relaxation techniques. This listening promotes emotional healing, stress reduction, and an increased sense of peace. Music therapy is very beneficial in maintaining long-term sobriety and increases the effectiveness of other addiction treatment programs. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019, “Music Therapy for Substance Use Disorders,” music therapy can significantly enhance the effectiveness of traditional addiction treatments. On its own, music therapy may not constitute adequate treatment for medical conditions, including mental health disorders.

By engaging in shared musical experiences within a supportive community setting, individuals develop interpersonal skills, build social bonds, and strengthen their sense of identity and purpose, contributing to sustained recovery. Similar to GIM, this method uses classical music and guided imagery to help individuals living with addiction explore personal growth, consciousness, and transformation. It focuses mainly on uncovering significant emotional and existential insights that affect addiction through the music-listening experience. As a form of complementary and integrative therapy that has a quite extensive body of empirical evidence to suggest its treatment utility, music therapy is in contrast to many other forms of complementary therapies. These interventions can assist in the treatment of specific types of issues but are not designed to be the primary forms of treatment or be used as the sole form of treatment for these issues.