(1) Evidence has been accumulated to show the beneficial effects of music therapy for the negative
symptoms, general mental status, depression/anxiety, social functioning, cognitive functioning and quality of
life in schizophrenia patients, but inconsistency of the effects across studies and dependence of the outcomes
on the number of music therapy sessions and quality of music therapy provided have been reported. The
quality of the music therapy provided have also been noted as being dependent on the number of sessions
provided.
(2) Evidence in respect of the beneficial effects of music therapy for patients with depression (but with
a heterogeneous mix of psychogenic and endogenous factors) suggests that addition of music therapy to the
usual treatment had significant beneficial effects in the short-term as compared to usual treatment alone.
Similar findings have been reported for patients with anxiety. However, in some studies, the type of “depressive
disorder” has not been specified/described, and in others, the disorder was not diagnosed according to
validated diagnostic criteria, which is a concern because of the high heterogeneity of the disorder. These may
be related, at least in part, to problems surrounding the diagnosis of depression in clinical psychiatry.
(3) Evidence has been accumulated to show the effectiveness of GIM (Guided Imagery and Music) as
being of possible psychological benefit in patients with anxiety, depression, mood disorders, interpersonal
problems, quality of life, sense of coherence (SOC), and psychiatric symptoms.
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