Integrating Music and Performing Arts into Psychological Therapy: Evaluating Efficacy and Patient Outcomes

Previous studies identify creative arts therapies including music and performing arts as enhancing psychological health but there is a dearth of high-quality trials. The effectiveness of the same in integrating the above modalities into therapy for people with psychological disorders was assessed in this randomized controlled trial. Of 120 subjects, 60 were randomly assigned to receive 12 weekly sessions of music and performing arts-based therapy in addition to enhanced medication management, while the control group (n=60) similarly received 12 weekly enhanced medical management sessions along with treatment-as-usual cognitive-behavioral therapy. These comprised depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, PTSD, and quality of life assessed at baseline, mid, and post-intervention with well-validated questionnaires. BDI mean change was -14.3 in the intervention group versus -5.3 in the control group, p<0.05; GAD-7, -7.3 versus -3.2, p<0.05; PCL-5, -22.1 versus -8.2, p<0.05; WHOQOL-BREF, +19.6 versus +6.7, p<0 Results of repeated measures ANOVA indicated that time, group, and the interaction of time-by-group were significant for all the measures in general. The use of music therapy and performing arts in delivering psychological treatment may significantly enhance treatment gains in multiple domains over and above conventional therapy.