Quantitative comparison of group-based music therapy experiences in adults with substance use disorder on a detoxification unit: a three-group cluster-randomized study

ABSTRACT

Background: Service users’ values and preferences are components of evidence-based practice and recovery.

Methods: Adults (N = 113) with substance use disorder (SUD) on a detoxification unit were cluster-randomized to one of three group-based single-session conditions: Recreational music therapy (RMT), educational lyric analysis for illness management and recovery (ELA-IMR) or educational songwriting for illness management and recovery (ESW-IMR). Participants completed the Ferrara Group Experiences Scale after their session.

Results: There were significant differences in the sharing of emotions and experiences subscale between the RMT and both the ELA-IMR and ESW-IMR conditions, with the educational conditions having higher scores. There was a significant difference in the total group experience between the RMT and ELA-IMR conditions, with the ELA-IMR condition having a higher score.

Conclusions: Merging the results of previous literature with the current study, educational music therapy interventions can positively impact recovery-based objectives and the group-based experience in adults with SUD.

KEYWORDS:

• Music therapy
• group experiences
• detoxification
• substance use disorder
• addiction
• songwriting
• lyric analysis
• recreational

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. As the context is a medical hospital, the term “patients” is used.

2. “Researcher” is used to recognize the dual role of the music therapy clinician who delivered the intervention under investigation and the researcher who was responsible for study design, data collection, and analysis. The author acknowledges this dual role as a limitation.