Songwriting versus recreational music therapy in adults with alcohol use disorder: A cluster-randomized study measuring readiness to change

ABSTRACT

Background

There is a lack of studies differentiating music therapy interventions by measuring potential between-group differences and within-group improvements in detoxification settings.

Objective

The purpose of the study was to compare group motivational-educational songwriting (MESW) and group recreational music therapy (RMT) as measured by readiness to change in adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who were hospitalized on a detoxification unit.

Method

Participants were 91 adults with AUD on a detoxification unit who were cluster-randomized by session to a single group MESW or group RMT session. Participants completed the 24-item University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) at pre- and posttest.

Results

Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance indicated significant within-group improvements from pre- to posttest in measures of contemplation, action, and total readiness to change. Although between-group differences did not reach significance, posttest means were consistently more favorable in the MESW condition.

Conclusions

Despite the temporal challenges of single sessions that are often the norm in detoxification settings, MESW and RMT may be ideal psychosocial treatments to augment people’s readiness to change and ultimately result in a higher likelihood of recovery. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Music therapy
• addiction
• substance use disorder
• alcohol use disorder
• detoxification
• randomized
• songwriting
• recreational music therapy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. People hospitalized on the unit were referred to as patients at this facility.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported that there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.