Koert van Essen , Mathilde Akse , Thomas Pelgrim , Anna-Eva Prick , Sonja Aalbers
{"title":"Therapeutic factors and mechanisms of change in music therapy for people with late-life depression: A scoping review","authors":"Koert van Essen , Mathilde Akse , Thomas Pelgrim , Anna-Eva Prick , Sonja Aalbers","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102289","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102289","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to the growing aging population, the number of people with late-life depression (LLD) is estimated to increase significantly. LLD presents symptoms such as persistent low mood, decreased interest and pleasure, and feelings of worthlessness. Music therapy has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms in this population. However, understanding of its therapeutic factors and mechanisms of change remain limited. This scoping review aims to elucidate the therapeutic factors, mechanisms of change and their related outcomes involved in music therapy for people with LLD. Databases including Medline, Cinahl, Psycinfo, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were systematically searched. Selection criteria included elderly individuals (above 60), late-life depression, music therapy, therapeutic factors and mechanisms of change. Of 1249 screened studies, 31 were included, identifying 5 domains of presumed therapeutic factors, presumed mechanisms of change and related presumed outcomes. The domains are emotion, social, cognition, arousal and behavior & motivation. The emotion domain, which encompasses presumed therapeutic factors and presumed mechanisms of change for emotion regulation emerged as the most prominent. Both music listening and interactive music making facilitate emotion regulation by evoking and expressing difficult feelings in people with LLD. Insights gained on therapeutic factors and mechanisms of change involved in music therapy for people with LLD can inform strategy development, enhance clinical care, and guide future research efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102289"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143800598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preference or choice? Relationships among college students’ music preference, personality, stress, and music consumption","authors":"Eugenia Hernandez-Ruiz, Mizuki Asano, Jihyeon Ryu, Helen Kirby, Dylan Abernathy, Maren Rosholt","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102291","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102291","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research has consistently shown correlations between music preference and personality traits. However, the impact of situational factors, such as stress and music consumption, on this relationship has not been investigated, to our knowledge. Given the importance of music preference as a factor to explain the use of music in everyday life and its therapeutic effect, we investigated the relationship between music preference and personality traits when stress overload and music consumption were considered. We conducted an online survey with undergraduate and graduate students, measuring their music preferences (through the STOMP-R scale), personality traits (HEXACO test), stress overload (SOS-S), and music consumption (number of hours listening to music per day). Open-ended questions explored participants’ uses of music and musical elements that most affect them. Results show similar relationships between music preference and personality traits as previous research, with no impact from situational factors. However, intentional uses of music and influence of specific music elements (i.e., rhythm) may indicate that <em>music choices</em> (i.e., the choice of music for a specific goal within a specific context), and not <em>music preference in general</em> may be a better indicator of therapeutic effect.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102291"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143759896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Role reversal enhances an understanding of the other, but not of the self","authors":"Miranda Wu, Jacob Cameirao, Steven Brown","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102288","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102288","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>One of the key techniques of psychotherapeutic methods like psychodrama is role reversal, in which a client engages in the dramatic act of portraying another person. Such a portrayal is believed to provide insight not only into oneself, but into the perspective and experiences of the portrayed person. In this experimental study, university students (n = 57) were asked to recount a conflictual episode involving another person. In different conditions, they did so from either their own first-person perspective (“I”), from the third-person perspective (“she/he/they”), or from the “fictional first-person” perspective (speaking as “I” while portraying the other person), where the latter is akin to role reversal in psychodrama. A within-subject analysis of self-report questionnaires following each trial revealed that, relative to the first-person condition, role reversal failed to increase insight into one’s own behavior, but led to a significant increase in insight into the other person’s actions, as well as a sense of connectedness with that person. These results suggest that role reversal can increase empathy for someone with whom we are in conflict.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102288"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Doug Hyun Han , Sunhee K. Kim , Sunjoo Kim , YeJi Park
{"title":"Treatment effects of art therapy on adolescents with problematic Internet gaming behavior","authors":"Doug Hyun Han , Sunhee K. Kim , Sunjoo Kim , YeJi Park","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102287","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102287","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Problematic Internet gaming is prevalent among adolescents with depression, anxiety, and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Art therapy is an effective treatment for anxiety, depression, and attention problems. We hypothesized that art therapy would be effective in reducing the severity of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in adolescents and lead to better improvement in depression and anxiety compared to Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). We recruited 92 adolescents, aged 13–15, with problematic gaming behaviors (48 CBT, 44 art therapy). CBT (1 therapist, 4–5 adolescents) and art therapy (4 therapists, 8–10 adolescents) were conducted in 12 and 10 90-min sessions, respectively. Symptom severity was assessed pre- and post-intervention using scales for IGD, anxiety, attention problems, and depression. The Person Picking Apples from a Tree (PPAT) drawing test was used to assess self-image. IGD and ADHD symptoms decreased in both groups; however, these changes showed no significant between-group differences. Depression and anxiety significantly decreased in the art therapy group, compared to the CBT group. In the art therapy group, changes in “implied energy” on PPAT were negatively correlated with changes in depression and IGD scores. Both CBT and art therapy positively affected anxiety, depression, and ADHD symptoms. However, art therapy, which helps reduce stress hormones by stimulating brain regions through sensory and visual experiences, significantly reduced depression and anxiety compared to CBT. This study examined an art therapy method that could be considered abstract from a different perspective, utilizing PPAT, which allowed for a more scientific and systematic evaluation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102287"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143680517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“After the Tempest”: Assessing audience response through Playback Theatre","authors":"Lambros Yotis , Theodora Skali , Phaedra Anastasiou-Veneti , Anastasia Grysbolaki , Myrto Karambela , Nikolaos Stamatiadis","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102285","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102285","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Audience response is linked to a production's intentionality towards its audience. Playback Theatre is a form of community theatre designed to facilitate the audience’s interrelations. Applied as a method of reflection, it can explore tendencies and dynamics in specific audiences. This project analyses the impact that a theatrical play had on its spectators, as this was revealed through Playback Theatre. The play involved was Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, which raises existential themes: trust, alliance, betrayal and revenge. The production was based on a two-part adaptation of the play for six performers. In the first part, the performers enacted their roles, while in the second, they “de-roled” and improvised on the audiences’ reflections. Seventy narrations in thirteen performances were recorded and analysed with the consent of the audience members. The data were assessed by the method of “Narrative Reticulation”, which focuses on four performance areas: guidance, atmosphere, spontaneity and story. Further “Thematic Analysis” of the shared stories disclosed those themes of the play that affected the audience. The results show the potency of The Tempest to foster intellectual engagement, interpersonal bonding and psychic resilience in its audience, the prominence of forgiveness versus revenge being the essential issue.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102285"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143680518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Music therapy and silence – Silence in music therapy. A systematic review","authors":"Christine Stolterfoth , Eric Pfeifer","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102286","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102286","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This systematic review identifies and analyzes research on the application and effects of silence in music therapy to derive implications for future investigations and practical applications. A database search was carried out via PsycINFO, PubMed, Psyndex, and Google Scholar using specific keywords for the period between January 1, 2002 and May 1, 2024. Only original peer-reviewed empirical studies in English and German were considered. Five out of 89 studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The results suggest that silence is a complex phenomenon that occurs in various forms in music therapy affecting relaxation, mood, rumination, and the perception of self, time, and space. Some authors define silence as a music-therapy method in its own right; others apply specific silence-related models. The presence of a music therapist and the therapeutic relationship influence the positive effects of silence in music therapy. The included studies must be discussed critically due to their heterogeneity in study design, research questions, and methodology. Future research on silence in music therapy is indicated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102286"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143621168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Neha Christopher , Jeanette Tamplin , Ella Dumaresq , Sharon Goodill
{"title":"Investigating the effects of group dance movement therapy sessions in adults living with treatment resistant depression: A mixed method case series","authors":"Neha Christopher , Jeanette Tamplin , Ella Dumaresq , Sharon Goodill","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There are currently no studies that specifically explore the use of dance/movement therapy (DMT) for treatment resistant depression, despite the growing literature base on DMT and major depressive disorders. This paper reports the effects of group-DMT sessions for adults with treatment resistant depression in a convergent parallel, mixed-method case series. Participants (n = 3) attended 12 weekly 45-minute group-DMT sessions. Quantitative outcomes were measured at four timepoints via the Perceived Stress Scale-10, Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-2, and cortisol hormone levels measured through hair samples. Qualitative data was collected via focus groups and individual interviews. Data were mixed with a complementary intent and are presented in a joint-display table. Findings indicate an increased capacity for emotional regulation, increased confidence in navigating somatic cues, and a more positive association with one’s body after group-DMT sessions. Integrated data demonstrates a convergent relationship between the data sets. Key findings suggest that DMT (i) offered a change in participants’ negative somatic associations, (ii) expanded the participants’ capacity for regulation, and (iii) offered a body-based form of self-assessment and regulation. Considering the novelty and small sample size in this case series, generalisations cannot be made about the benefits of DMT in treatment resistant depression. Further research on this topic is warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102270"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"‘Go with the \"wave of music\" to dive deep’: Exploring perceptions of psychedelic-assisted therapy and the role of music within this practice","authors":"Ann MacLeod , Victoria Clarke , Catherine Warner","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102284","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102284","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is increasing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PT) as a mental health intervention; however, there is a long history of stigma associated with psychedelics, which may be a barrier to implementation. For this reason, it is important to examine the acceptability and perceptions of PT among mental health professionals, service users and the wider public. In almost all PT research carried out to date, music listening is used as an essential adjunct to support the therapeutic aims, such as having a ‘peak experience’ and emotional release, however existing research has not addressed the perceptions of the role of music in PT. This qualitative study used a novel hybrid vignette-story completion method to explore understandings of PT and the role of music in the practice. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop three themes: (1) ‘Psychedelic therapy can reach the parts that other therapies cannot reach’; (2) ‘Music as a guide’; and (3) ‘It’s no magic bullet’: the potential risks of PT. The analysis highlights the important role that music is perceived to play in the practice of PT, positive perceptions of PT as a mental health intervention, alongside concerns about potential risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102284"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143592125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The effect of touch on affect, stress, sense of connectedness and sense of self: An experimental study on contact improvisation dance","authors":"Ariane Puhr , Wim Waterink , Susan van Hooren","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102272","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102272","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Touch is a powerful tool in human communication, enhancing our ability to connect with others. Touch is used in a number of dance forms, and of these Contact Improvisation (CI) is the one in which touch is used most intensively. Studying CI can contribute insights about the added value of touch for the well-being of people. This quantitative study investigated the effects of touch in contact improvisation (CI). We used a within-subject design, in which 15 male and 33 female participants (mean age = 50.15) danced in two conditions with randomized cross-over: dance improvisation without touch (DI) and contact improvisation with touch and sharing weight (CI). The effects on individuals were measured using the positive items of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-p) and visual analogue scales on happiness, stress, sense of connectedness, and sense of self. Our results show that both CI and DI conditions led to a reduction in stress, but dancing CI activated more positive affect, and contributed more strongly to an increase in sense of connectedness and sense of self than DI. These results indicate that dancing CI may contribute to the well-being of non-professional dancers through the intensive use of touch.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102272"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143642044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Your life within me: Exploring a visual art journal group intervention for women who experienced stillbirth","authors":"Maya Gronner Shamai, Einat Metzl","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The paper presents the results of a pilot study, of a 6-week art therapy group for mothers grieving the loss of their stillborn baby. The intervention encompassed weekly artmaking within a visual journal and group dialogue inspired by the Two-Track Model of Bereavement and art-based grief processing models. The research explored the potential usefulness through a mixed-methods design, which included comparisons of pre- and post-intervention measures of emotional regulation and measures of ongoing internal relationship with the deceased, as well as the participants’ perception of the intervention’s meaning captured through art-based interviews. Results indicated statistical trends of the quantitative measures toward increased emotional regulation, well-being, and a strengthened relationship with the deceased. The thematic analysis highlighted the challenges of coping with stillbirth as a profound, often ambiguous, and unacknowledged loss. Participants found that acknowledging their relationship with the deceased, participating in a support group, and maintaining a visual journal were particularly helpful. The discussion integrated findings with art therapy and medical considerations for this often under-addressed and societally untold loss.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102269"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143549921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}