The Impact of a Music Therapy Support Group on Perceived Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Long-Term Caregivers: A Pilot Study

Family members caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia have described elevated levels of stress, anxiety, or depression. Studies have reported the effectiveness of support groups for caregivers in addressing these symptoms. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the impact of a music therapy support group on the perceived stress, anxiety, and depression of caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia. Four female adults (n = 62.50 years, SD = 14.15) participated in multiple music therapy support group sessions. Participants completed 3 visual analog scales rating perceived stress, anxiety, and depression at the beginning and end of each session. Results showed trends of stress, anxiety, and depression ratings decreasing from pre- to post-session in all but one session, in which pretest scores for depression were 0 and remained unchanged. Following the completion of the final music therapy support group, 2 participants engaged in a focus group which yielded 2 themes pertinent to the study purpose: receiving support from group members, and personal support strategies employed outside of the music therapy support group sessions. Focus group and pre- and post-session results support the potential benefit of a music therapy support group on acute feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression in long-term caregivers. Due to the low number of participants, these findings suggest that additional investigations are necessary to adequately establish the effectiveness of a music therapy support group for caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia.