Music for breathing : an innovative research application

Enhancing the efficacy of integrative improvisational music therapy in the treatment of depression : study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Abstract Background Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide. Not all people with depression respond adequately to standard treatments. An innovative therapy that has shown promising results in controlled trials is music therapy. Based on a previous trial that suggested beneficial effects of integrative improvisational music therapy (IIMT) on short and medium-term depression symptoms as well as anxiety and functioning, this trial aims to determine potential mechanisms of and improvements in its effects by examining specific variations of IIMT. Methods/design A 2 × 2 factorial randomised controlled trial will be carried out at a single centre in Finland involving 68 adu…

Musical interaction in music therapy for depression treatment

Music therapy is efficacious for the treatment of depression. Compared to other psychotherapeutic forms, it allows for the emergence of various modes of mutual interaction, thus enabling multiple channels for emotional expression and fostering therapeutic alliance. Although musical interaction patterns between client and therapist have been regarded as predictors of therapeutic outcome in depression, this has not yet been systematically investigated. We aim to address this gap by analyzing the possible linkage between musical interaction features and changes in depression score. In a clinical trial, digital piano improvisations from 58 Finnish clients and their therapists were recorded ove…

On Musical Identities, Social Pharmacology, and Intervention Timing in Music Therapy

How do antidepressants or recreational drugs influence the music experience in the context of therapy or during music performance and listening? Using drugs to enhance performance we can describe a complementary interaction between lifestyle, personal identity and drugs, influencing musical identities in creative processes. Treating depressed clients with individual psychodynamic music therapy (MT) worked well with those also taking anti-depressants, but also initiated a process in which the need for medication started to decrease. While antidepressants may help to keep anxiety, energy loss and rumination within limits, MT induces a process in which emotional limitations are likely to becom…

Music Therapy for Depression Enhanced With Listening Homework and Slow Paced Breathing: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Introduction: There is evidence from earlier trials for the efficacy of music therapy in the treatment of depression among working-age people. Starting therapy sessions with relaxation and revisiting therapeutic themes outside therapy have been deemed promising for outcome enhancement. However, previous music therapy trials have not investigated this issue.Objective: To investigate the efficacy of two enhancers, resonance frequency breathing (RFB) and listening homework (LH), when combined with an established music therapy model (trial registration number ISRCTN11618310).Methods: In a 2 × 2 factorial randomised controlled trial, working-age individuals with depression were allocated into gr…

sj-docx-1-pom-10.1177_03057356221084368 – Supplemental material for Musical interaction in music therapy for depression treatment

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-pom-10.1177_03057356221084368 for Musical interaction in music therapy for depression treatment by Martin Hartmann, Anastasios Mavrolampados, Petri Toiviainen, Suvi Saarikallio, Katrien Foubert, Olivier Brabant, Nerdinga Snape, Esa Ala-Ruona, Christian Gold and Jaakko Erkkilä in Psychology of Music

Favouring emotional processing in improvisational music therapy through resonance frequency breathing: a single-case experimental study with a healthy client

Resonance frequency breathing (RFB) is a form of slow breathing at around six breaths/min, whose immediate effects are to substantially increase heart rate variability (HRV) and to reduce stress levels. Since RFB has already been successfully used on its own to treat various emotional disorders, we wanted to evaluate its effect on emotional processing when used as a preparatory intervention in improvisational music therapy. To do so, we performed a single-subject experimental study with a healthy participant. We hypothesised that RFB would serve both as an emotional catalyst and emotional regulator, the actual outcome depending on the client’s current issues and needs. The study consisted o…

Diurnal changes in the perception of emotions in music: Does the time of day matter?

According to the Hindustani music tradition, the ability of a song to induce certain emotions depends on the time of day: playing a song at the right time is said to maximise its emotional effect. The present exploratory study investigated this claim by combining findings in chronobiology, mood research and music perception. It has already been established that some aspects of our mood fluctuations follow a cyclical pattern. Besides, it is a known fact that our current mood influences our perception and assessment of emotions. However, these elements have never been linked together in a study examining the effect of mood cyclicity on perceived emotions in music. To test the hypothesis of a…

The effect of resonance frequency breathing when used as a preparatory exercise in music psychotherapy : A single-case experimental study of a client with anxiety disorder

This study aimed at evaluating the possible benefits of starting Integrative Improvisational Music Therapy (IIMT) sessions with 10 min of Resonance Frequency Breathing (RFB), a type of slow breathing known to be beneficial for stress reduction and emotional regulation. A client diagnosed with anxiety disorder and social phobia attended 12 IIMT sessions. Using an alternating treatments design, RFB was systematically alternated with a control intervention (vibroacoustic therapy, VAT). Therapy processes were assessed through the Session Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ) and the continuous measurement of heart rate variability (HRV), a biomarker of autonomic nervous system response. RFB was consis…

Music therapeutic emotional processing (MEP): Expression, awareness, and pain predict therapeutic outcome

Successful emotional processing is pivotal for the therapeutic change, and music can support emotional processing. However, we know little on how music-based emotional processing actually predicts clinical outcomes. This study investigated music therapeutic emotional processing (MEP) as a predictor of therapeutic outcome in treatment for depression. Data consisted of self-reports of 64 clients (age range 19–57, 74% female) from a clinical trial (12 sessions) of integrative improvisational music therapy (IIMT). A 19-item MEP questionnaire was developed for assessing clients’ experiences after sessions. Emergent MEP factors were correlated with clients’ perceptions of the therapeutic value o…

Enhancing improvisational music therapy through the addition of resonance frequency breathing : Common findings of three single-case experimental studies

One core characteristic of active music therapy is the facilitation of emotional expression through the creation of music improvisations. In an attempt to further develop this approach, we created an enhanced form of integrative improvisational music therapy by including 10 minutes of resonance frequency breathing (RFB) at the beginning of the sessions. RFB is a type of slowbreathing known for its ability to reduce stress and support emotional regulation. This paper summarizes the common findings of three single-case experimental studies and introduces a provisional model to explain the observed effects of RFB. During the breathing itself, all three clients (two of them healthy and one diag…

Different moment, different tune : how emotional perception of music changes with the time of day

According to the classical music tradition of Northern India, the ability of a song to induce certain emotions depends on the time of day: playing a song at the right time is said to maximise its emotional effect. Transposing this idea into a Western context, I decided to investigate this claim by combining findings in chronobiology with findings in music and emotion. It has already been established that our mood fluctuations follow a cyclical pattern. Besides, it is a known fact that our current mood influences our ability to perceive emotions. However, no one has ever linked these elements together and studied diurnal mood variations and their effect on perceived emotions in music. To tes…

More Than Meets the Eye: Toward a Post-Materialist Model of Consciousness.

Commonly accepted models of human consciousness have substantial shortcomings, in the sense that they cannot account for the entire scope of human experiences. The goal of this article is to describe a model with higher explanatory power, by integrating ideas from psychology and quantum mechanics. In the first part, the need for a paradigm change will be justified by presenting three types of phenomena that challenge the materialistic view of consciousness. The second part is about proposing an alternative view of reality and mind–matter manifestation that is able to accommodate these phenomena. Finally, the ideas from the previous parts will be combined with the psychological concepts deve…

More than meets the Eye : Towards a Post-materialist Model of Consciousness

Commonly accepted models of human consciousness have substantial shortcomings, in the sense that they cannot account for the entire scope of human experiences. The goal of this article is to describe a model with higher explanatory power, by integrating ideas from psychology and quantum mechanics. In the first part, the need for a paradigm change will be justified by presenting three types of phenomena that challenge the materialistic view of consciousness. The second part is about proposing an alternative view of reality and mind–matter manifestation that is able to accommodate these phenomena. Finally, the ideas from the previous parts will be combined with the psychological concepts deve…

sj-docx-1-pom-10.1177_03057356221084368 – Supplemental material for Musical interaction in music therapy for depression treatment

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-pom-10.1177_03057356221084368 for Musical interaction in music therapy for depression treatment by Martin Hartmann, Anastasios Mavrolampados, Petri Toiviainen, Suvi Saarikallio, Katrien Foubert, Olivier Brabant, Nerdinga Snape, Esa Ala-Ruona, Christian Gold and Jaakko Erkkilä in Psychology of Music