[Posted: Wed 01/11/2006]
Music therapy may improve some of the symptoms of schizophrenia, new research indicates.
The preliminary research marks the first time that this type of therapy has been evaluated in relation to people with acute schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterised by disturbances in a person's thoughts, perceptions, emotions and behaviour. Symptoms can include delusions and hallucinations. The condition affects around one in every 100 people - an estimated 41,000 people in Ireland are currently affected.
Researchers at Imperial College London, along with therapists at the Central and North West London Mental Health Trust, followed the progress of 81 inpatients at four hospitals in London. The participants were randomly divided in two, with one group receiving music therapy and the other group receiving standard care alone.
Those receiving music therapy had between eight and 12 sessions, once a week, for up to 45 minutes at a time. During these sessions, they were given access to a wide range of musical instruments and encouraged to use them to express themselves.
Initially the therapist listened carefully to the patient's music and accompanied them closely, seeking to follow their emotional state in musical terms. The therapist then offered opportunities to extend or vary the nature of the musical interaction.
During this time, the researchers measured the patients' symptoms. They found that improvements were greater among those who received music therapy, compared to those who received standard care alone.
In fact, music therapy was associated with a reduction in general symptoms, such as depression and anxiety and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as emotional withdrawal.
The researchers however warned that the study was small, therefore it is possible that other factors, such as the severity of the illness, may have influenced the findings.
"We have known for some time that psychological treatments can help people with schizophrenia, but these have only been used when people are fairly stable. This study shows that music therapy provides a way of working with people when they are acutely unwell", said Dr Mike Crawford of Imperial College London.
He explained that at certain times, patients may find it difficult to express themselves using words, 'but through the skill of the therapist, it may be possible to help people interact through music in a way that is constructive, creative and enjoyable'.
The researchers believe that the findings so far provide sufficient evidence to justify a further trial of music therapy for people with schizophrenia. This, they said, should be designed to explore the effects and cost effectiveness of this kind of therapy.
"Inpatient treatment is the form of care that people with schizophrenia are least satisfied with. Music therapy may provide a means of enhancing the effectiveness of inpatient treatment by reducing some of the symptoms of schizophrenia that respond least well to drug treatment", Dr Crawford added.
Details of this study are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
For more information on schizophrenia, contact Schizophrenia Ireland at...