| Title | Efficacy of emotion-regulating improvisational music therapy to reduce depressive symptoms in young adult students: A multiple-case study design |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2020 |
| Authors | Aalbers S, Spreen M, Pattiselanno K, Verboon P, Vink A, van Hooren S |
| Journal | The Arts in Psychotherapy |
| Volume | 71 |
| Pagination | 101720 |
| ISSN | 0197-4556 |
| Keywords | Depressive symptoms, Emotion regulation, Emotion-regulating Improvisational Music Therapy (EIMT), Experience sampling method, Multiple case study design, Young adult students |
| Abstract | Depression is a serious mental health problem. Therefore, Emotion-regulating Improvisational Music Therapy (EIMT) to prevent depression was developed. The main purpose of this study was to assess effects of EIMT on reducing depressive symptoms in young adult students. A multiple-case study design was used with multiple methods. Eleven cases (female students) were completed and analysed. Nine out of 11 students reported reliable reductions in depressive symptoms at post-test and four-week follow-up. All students reported significant improvement in emotion regulation at post-test and nine out of 11 at four-week follow-up. The group showed significant reduction of depressive symptoms and significant improvement in emotion regulation at post-test. Results remained after four-week follow-up for both outcomes. Qualitative analysis supported these results. Using piecewise multilevel regression analyses, a small significant effect was found for negative, but not for positive affect. Main limitations are a one-site study, with female students and researcher in dual-role. Further research is needed to provide support for generality. Findings demonstrate that EIMT as a preventive intervention can be beneficial for young adult students within a university context to decrease depressive symptoms and negative affect and improve emotion regulation. Multisite studies are indicated to study effects and mechanisms of EIMT. |
| URL | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197455620300939 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.aip.2020.101720 |
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