Author: Charles Frank

Music Therapy & Substance Abuse Treatment

Progression of mental health problems is based on a diathesis-stress model, where genetic predispositions and environmental exposures result in later problems (which can be remedied through treatment). Path 4 (orange arrows) illustrates the importance of understanding how these potential protective associations are driven by neuroanatomy and function. MDD major depressive disorder, GAD generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD posttraumatic stress disorder, SUD substance use disorder(s). In many studies, MT/ MBI had beneficial effects on mood and emotions, i.e., positive mood change, decreased negative emotions, e.g., anxiety, depression, and anger, and increased positive feelings, e.g., enjoyment and happiness.

Since both World Wars, it has been used to treat people with psychiatric illnesses and substance abuse disorders at home and in facilities. Following this, many institutions began to offer education in musical therapy, starting from Michigan State University in 1944. It led to the formation of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) in 1998, which focuses on increasing the awareness of music therapy definition and services while promoting education and research in this field. It is a popular method used in medical hospitals, alcohol, and addiction recovery care programs, other clinical settings, and at home to help patients, even with no musical background or education.

However, there are some considerations that should be made before getting a specific individual involved in a music therapy program. There are a number of treatment interventions that are not considered to be primary forms of treatment for different types of mental health disorders, including substance use disorders. 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. Some rehab centers offer sessions with certified music therapists as part of their addiction treatment plan. Others incorporate informal therapeutic music programs with other holistic treatment plans, such as team building exercises and outdoor activities designed to help those struggling with addiction break self-destructive behavior patterns.

Music Therapy for Substance Use Disorders

1. The externalizing domain comprises SUDs, and also includes impulsivity, conduct disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), especially in adolescents 20, 24, 60, 61.
2. Music therapy can be applied to the treatment of substance use disorders to ease stress, help people relax, increase focus on recovery, and help individuals who are having difficulty adjusting to the demands of recovery from substance use disorders.
3. Twin studies have demonstrated that both music experiences and music ability measures are moderately heritable and genetically correlated with cognitive abilities like non-verbal intelligence 94,95,96,97.
4. Your health insurance company will only pay for services that it determines to be “reasonable and necessary.” The treatment center will make every effort to have all services preauthorized by your health insurance company.

If we are unable to obtain the ICC, we will use external estimates from similar studies (Higgins 2011). We will also examine the reference lists of relevant review articles (e.g. Mays 2008; Silverman 2003). We will collect outcomes reported immediately following completion of the intervention, short‐term follow‐up up to three months after completion of the intervention, and long‐term follow‐up at more than three months after completion of the intervention. We will include data from rating scales when they are from participant self‐report or rated by an independent rater (i.e. not the music therapist). Wait list consists of participants assigned to a waiting list to receive MT after the active treatment group.

Criteria for considering studies for this review

Our review considers both correlational and experimental studies (typically, intervention studies; see Fig. 1 for examples of study designs). We include not only studies that examine symptoms or diagnoses based on diagnostic interviews, but also those that assess quantitative variation (e.g., trait anxiety) in clinical and nonclinical populations. Music engagement may be related to this full continuum of mental health, including correlations with trait-level symptoms in nonclinical populations and alleviation of symptoms from clinical disorders.

What Happens During a Treatment Session?

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Search methods for identification of studies

Some music interventions incorporate components of other therapeutic methods in their programs including dialectic or cognitive behavior therapies 42, but few directly compare how the inclusion of music augments traditional behavioral therapy. Still other non-music therapies incorporate music into their practice (e.g., background music in mindfulness therapies) 43, 44, but the specific contribution of music in these approaches is unclear. MDD, GAD, and PTSD are the most frequently clustered aspects of internalizing psychopathology 19, 24, 29, 30.

How Does Music Therapy Support Addiction Recovery?

At the most basic level, twin and family studies can estimate genetic correlations among music ability or engagement measures and mental health traits or diagnoses. Genetic associations can be examined while simultaneously quantifying environmental correlations, as well as evaluating (bidirectional) causal associations, by testing competing models or averaging across different candidate models 102, 124, informing Path 1. In addition, longitudinal studies have revealed that instrument players show more rapid cortical thickness maturation in prefrontal and parietal areas implicated in emotion and impulse control compared to non-musician children/adolescents 122. Importantly, because the existing evidence is primarily correlational, these cross-sectional and longitudinal structural differences between musicians and non-musicians could be explained by genetic correlations, effects of music training, or both, making them potentially relevant to multiple paths in our model (Fig. 2). Examining neural correlates of music engagement in more detail will shed light on these possibilities and advance our understanding of the correlates and consequences of music engagement, and the mechanisms that drive the associations discussed above. Associations between music engagement and mental health may take multiple forms, driven by several different types of genetic predispositions and environmental effects that give rise to, and interact with, proposed psychological and neurobiological mechanisms described earlier.

Music therapists tailor these interventions to meet the unique needs of each individual, creating a supportive environment where clients can explore and process their emotions, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and reinforce positive behaviors essential for sustained recovery. This approach helps individuals manage stress, reduce anxiety, and enhance mindfulness, which is crucial for maintaining sobriety. According to Lin et al., 2014, “Effects of Music Listening on Stress and Anxiety in Addiction Treatment,” guided listening sessions promote emotional healing and stress reduction. Music therapy in addiction also encourages emotional expression and allows individuals to explore and process feelings in a safe and structured environment. According to the American Music Therapy Association, 2021, “Music Therapy and Addiction Treatment,” music therapy is particularly effective in addressing emotional expression and processing in individuals with addiction. Professional music therapists design activities specific to an individual’s needs and addiction treatment goals.

What Are The Qualifications Of A Music Therapist Working With Addiction Patients?

Music therapy addresses the mental and physical needs of people undergoing substance use treatment, through use of a range of active and receptive forms of musical engagement that enable various health‐promoting neurobiological, psychological, and social processes. Music therapists are health professionals who use specific music interventions to help their clients manage emotions, cope with triggers, experience mastery, and form healthy interpersonal relationships. There was a moderate effect on motivation for treatment/change when comparing MT plus standard care to another active intervention plus standard care (SMD 0.46, 95% CI –0.00 to 0.93; 5 studies, 411 participants), and certainty in the result was moderate. We found no clear evidence of an effect of MT on motivation to stay sober/clean when compared to active intervention, though effect sizes ranged from large favourable effect to no effect, and we are uncertain about the result (MD 0.34, 95% CI –0.11 to 0.78; 3 studies, 258 participants).