Music-Assisted Reminiscence Therapy with Older Adults: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Outcomes

Reminiscence therapy (RT) is often used in music therapy; however, it remains unclear how music can be integrated within this therapy. This pilot study aimed to contrast the user experience and acceptability of RT with and without music. Eight older adults experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression were randomly allocated to a single session of either verbal RT (VRT) or music-assisted RT (MRT). Pre- and post-measures of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale) and memory (Memory Experience Questionnaire, Short Form) were administered to compare VRT and MRT, followed by a brief semi-structured interview to understand the participants’ experiences and level of satisfaction. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using an inductive coding approach. Two MRT protocols were also delivered to examine different ways of embedding music into RT and compared using qualitative interview data. Participants reported that VRT and MRT were equally acceptable and well tolerated. All participants completed the VRT or MRT session. Participants were able to identify a song to listen to in both MRT protocols and found both acceptable. A pre–post pattern of improvement was observed for affect following VRT, and particularly MRT, suggesting both as promising interventions. The high treatment fidelity achieved in this study indicates that the interventions can be successfully implemented with this population. MRT resulted in higher scores on memory experience characteristics, such as vividness, coherence, and accessibility, and, therefore, may provide changes above and beyond VRT for older people experiencing psychological distress, suggesting that large-scale clinical trials are warranted.