A1 Journal article (refereed)
Musical interaction in music therapy for depression treatment (2022)
Hartmann, M., Mavrolampados, A., Toiviainen, P., Saarikallio, S., Foubert, K., Brabant, O., Snape, N., Ala-Ruona, E., Gold, C., & Erkkilä, J. (2022). Musical interaction in music therapy for depression treatment. Psychology of Music, 51(1), 33-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221084368
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Hartmann, Martin; Mavrolampados, Anastasios; Toiviainen, Petri; Saarikallio, Suvi; Foubert, Katrien; Brabant, Olivier; Snape, Nerdinga; Ala-Ruona, Esa; Gold, Christian; Erkkilä, Jaakko
Journal or series: Psychology of Music
ISSN: 0305-7356
eISSN: 1741-3087
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 09/04/2022
Volume: 51
Issue number: 1
Pages range: 33-50
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221084368
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80606
Abstract
Music therapy is efficacious for the treatment of depression. Compared to other psychotherapeutic forms, it allows for the emergence of various modes of mutual interaction, thus enabling multiple channels for emotional expression and fostering therapeutic alliance. Although musical interaction patterns between client and therapist have been regarded as predictors of therapeutic outcome in depression, this has not yet been systematically investigated. We aim to address this gap by analyzing the possible linkage between musical interaction features and changes in depression score. In a clinical trial, digital piano improvisations from 58 Finnish clients and their therapists were recorded over 12 sessions of music therapy lasting 6 weeks. Subsequently, a variety of symbolic features describing pitch, rhythm, duration, and velocity were extracted from the improvisations. We observed a number of relationships between client–therapist interaction and clinical improvement. Clients with largest improvements displayed higher overall interaction, particularly more musical interaction in the middle of the therapy process than in the beginning and end. In contrast, clients with lower depression change score exhibited overall lower interaction and yielded other temporal profiles of interaction. The association between clinical improvement and an inverted U-shaped curve of musical interaction is discussed in the light of process-outcome literature.
Keywords: music therapy; depression (mental disorders); treatment outcomes; improvisation; social interaction
Free keywords: arts and health; improvisation; interaction; interventions; mental health; music therapy; randomized controlled trials
Contributing organizations
Related projects
- NO PAIN NO GAIN - Internal Mechanisms of Integrative, Improvisational Music Therapy in the Treatment of Depression
- Erkkilä, Jaakko
- Research Council of Finland
- Interaction in Music Therapy for Depression
- Hartmann, Martin
- Research Council of Finland
- Personalised music listening strategies to support emotional health in adolescents
- Saarikallio, Suvi
- Research Council of Finland
- Take the “N” Train: Dance, Entrainment and Prosocial Behaviour
- Toiviainen, Petri
- Research Council of Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain
- Toiviainen, Petri
- Research Council of Finland
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
JUFO rating: 3
- Music, Mind and Technology (Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies MUTKU) MMT
- Engineering (Faculty of Information Technology IT) OHTE; Formerly Software and Communications Engineering
- Secure Communications Engineering and Signal Processing (Faculty of Information Technology IT) SCSP
- Musicology (Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies MUTKU) MUS
- Music Education (Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies MUTKU) MKA
- Music Therapy (Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies MUTKU) MTE