A Scoping Review of Music Therapy Interventions That Foster Hope.

Abstract

Hope is an increasingly important topic within health care due to the rising incidence of mental illness. Hope is identified as a primary protective factor in suicide prevention. Music therapists work with vulnerable populations that experience a wide range of emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual challenges. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize the current music therapy literature on hope. Articles included were peer-reviewed music-based intervention studies with adults, targeting hope as an outcome, provided by music therapists, and published between 1950 and 2023. Databases searched included Google Scholar, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Version, PsychINFO, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and PubMed using the search terms "music therapy" and hope. Search strategies identified 229 studies. These results were uploaded to Covidence and reviewed. After 52 duplicates were removed, 177 were screened for title and abstract. Initial screening included 61 studies for full-text review. Nine studies identified for data extraction were coded by the author and a research assistant. Any conflicts were discussed and resolved. Hope was identified in themes of five qualitative studies and three mixed-methods studies. One quantitative study addressed hope through group treatment. The results suggest music-based interventions targeting hope demonstrate promise for music therapy as a treatment option. Qualitative themes resemble aspects of existing theories. Reviewing the current state of published music interventions is a first step in a phased research agenda to promote hope as a foundation of music therapy.