In the largest ever study of its kind, the researchers in partnership with Every Day Harmony (the brand name for Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust), found that children and young people, aged 8 – 16 years old, who received music therapy had significantly improved self-esteem and significantly reduced depression compared with those who received treatment without music therapy.

Additionally, the study, which was funded by the Big Lottery fund, found that young people aged 13 and over who received music therapy had improved communicative and interactive skills, compared to those who received usual care options alone. Further analysis of the findings also showed that even after music therapy had finished, social functioning improved in all age groups in the long term.

251 children and young people were involved in the study which took place between March 2011 and May 2014. They were divided into two groups – 128 underwent the usual care options, while 123 were assigned to music therapy in addition to usual care. All were being treated for emotional, developmental or behavioural problems.

Dr Valerie Holmes, from the Centre for Public Health, at Queen’s University and co-researcher, said: “This is the largest study ever to be carried out looking at music therapy’s ability to help this very vulnerable group, and is further evidence of how Queen’s University is advancing knowledge and changing lives.”

Professor Sam Porter from the Department of Social Sciences and Social Work at Bournemouth University (previously of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University), who led the study, said: “This study is hugely significant in terms of determining effective treatments for children and young people with behavioural problems and mental health needs.”

Every Day Harmony, said: “Music therapy has often been used with children and young people with particular mental health needs, but this is the first time its effectiveness has been shown by a definitive randomised controlled trail in a clinical setting. The findings are dramatic and underscore the need for music therapy to be made available as a mainstream treatment option. For a long time we have relied on anecdotal evidence and small-scale research findings about how well music therapy works. Now we have robust clinical evidence to show its beneficial effects.”

The research team will now look at the data to establish how cost-effective music therapy is in relation to other treatments.

The research findings can be found at the following link http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.12656/epdf

Media

Media inquiries to Claire Kelly, Queen’s University Communications Manager, on 028 9097 5391 or c.m.kelly@qub.ac.uk