Music Therapy for Women Living with Depression: Daily Functioning, Emotion Regulation, and Quality of Life

DepressionWomen’s Mental HealthRandomized Controlled Trial

Apr 16

Written By Andrew Wolfson

Article Overview

This 2025 study explored whether group music therapy could support women living with major depressive disorder. In a randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, 102 women were assigned either to group music therapy or to a waitlist control condition. Researchers measured depressive symptoms through observer ratings, self-reports, and everyday-life assessments, while also examining emotion regulation and quality of life.

The findings were nuanced but meaningful. While observer-rated and self-reported depression scores improved without reaching statistical significance, the music therapy group showed statistically significant benefits in depressive symptoms experienced in daily life, along with improvements in quality of life and emotion regulation strategies. The study also found that these benefits were stronger immediately after treatment than at longer-term follow-up.

Why This Matters

This article is valuable because it presents music therapy as a clinically relevant, evidence-based intervention for depression while avoiding overstated claims. Instead of suggesting a simple cure, the study shows that group music therapy may offer meaningful short-term support in daily functioning, emotional coping, and overall well-being for women with depression.

For a public-facing music therapy library, this kind of research builds trust. It comes from a peer-reviewed journal, uses an RCT design, and highlights measurable outcomes that matter to clients, families, and referral sources. It is especially useful for showing how music therapy can support mental health in practical, lived ways beyond symptom scores alone.

Gaebel, C., Stoffel, M., Aguilar-Raab, C., Jarczok, M. N., Rittner, S., Ditzen, B., & Warth, M. (2025). Effects of group music therapy on depressive symptoms in women – The MUSED-study: Results from a randomized-controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 374, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.011