Analysis of songwriting group music therapy programme for informal caregivers of older adults

Songwriting (SW) is a music therapy technique commonly used to alleviate the burden that informal caregivers usually experience. Detailed descriptions and analyses of SW programmes are necessary to understand the underlying factors of change occurred during these interventions. The main purpose of this study is to describe a songwriting group music therapy (SGMT) programme, including the analyses of differences in the meaningfulness and content of song lyrics based on three SW approaches: individual song parody, group song parody, and original songwriting. This 10-session programme was applied to 60 informal caregivers. The Meaningfulness of Songwriting Scale was administered and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-22) software was used to analyse lyrical content. SW approaches showed significant differences between them, being more meaningful, presenting more content of social processes, and less affective content as the intervention progressed. The main variable affecting outcomes was the number of care hours provided by the caregivers. The SGMT enhanced group cohesion, providing a safe space for caregivers to explore their authentic needs and emotions. This study highlights the importance of providing detailed intervention programmes to replicate and adapt the interventions to caregivers’ needs. This adaptation can be achieved thanks to the versatility of the SW. • This study introduces a novel group music therapy programme using three songwriting methods for informal caregivers of older adults. • Songwriting lyrics and meaningfulness were analysed to identify change factors emerged during the intervention. • The songwritings of the informal caregivers became significantly more meaningful as sessions progressed. • Lyrics analysis revealed that the programme promoted group cohesion, providing caregivers a safe space to express emotions.