title: Individual music therapy for depression: randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Music therapy has previously been found to be effective in the treatment of depression but the studies have been methodologically insufficient and lacking in clarity about the clinical model employed. Aims To determine the efficacy of music therapy added to standard care compared with standard care only in the treatment of depression among working-age people.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (n = 79) with an ICD-10 diagnosis of depression were randomised to receive individual music therapy plus standard care (20 bi-weekly sessions) or standard care only, and followed up at baseline, at 3 months (after intervention) and at 6 months. Clinical measures included depression, anxiety, general functioning, quality of life and alexithymia.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN84185937.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants receiving music therapy plus standard care showed greater improvement than those receiving standard care only in depression symptoms (mean difference 4.65, 95% CI 0.59 to 8.70), anxiety symptoms (1.82, 95% CI 0.09 to 3.55) and general functioning (-4.58, 95% CI -8.93 to -0.24) at 3-month follow-up. The response rate was significantly higher for the music therapy plus standard care group than for the standard care only group (odds ratio 2.96, 95% CI 1.01 to 9.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individual music therapy combined with standard care is effective for depression among working-age people with depression. The results of this study along with the previous research indicate that music therapy with its specific qualities is a valuable enhancement to established treatment practices.
authors.affiliation: GAMUT, Uni Health, Lars Hilles gt. 3, 5015 Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erkkilä
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Punkanen
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fachner
authors.forename: Esa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ala-Ruona
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pöntiö
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tervaniemi
authors.forename: Mauno
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vanhala
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gold
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000628:therapy; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult