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

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

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Portrait of a Young Woman (Miss Seaton) (Dorothy Seaton), James McNeill Whistler, 1897

Clinicians’ Views of Music Therapy: Emotional Support, Communication, and Quality of Life

Article Overview

This 2024 qualitative study explores clinicians’ views of music therapy for hospitalized children and adolescents. Published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, the study used two focus groups with 18 healthcare professionals after an interactive music therapy session to examine how clinicians perceived the role of music therapy in pediatric hospital care.

Clinicians described music therapy as supportive of emotional support, communication, coping, and quality of life for children and adolescents in the hospital. They also identified benefits related to emotional expression, family support, and the overall care experience, suggesting that music therapy may contribute to more relational and holistic pediatric care.

Why This Matters

This article matters because it shows how clinicians in pediatric hospital settings view music therapy as part of patient care. While the study does not measure clinical outcomes directly, it offers valuable insight into how music therapy is recognized by professionals working with hospitalized children and adolescents every day.

For a public-facing music therapy library, this article helps explain that music therapy in hospitals is not simply entertainment. According to clinicians in the study, music therapy may support emotional support, communication, coping, and quality of life in pediatric care. That makes it a strong supporting article for families, hospitals, and referral sources interested in child and adolescent music therapy.

Barrio, M., Moreno-Mulet, C., Romero-García, M., & Ríos-Risquez, M. I. (2024). Healthcare professionals’ perceptions towards music therapy for hospitalized children and adolescents: A qualitative study. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 79, e191–e198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2024.07.022

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Woman and Child, Kate Greenaway, 1883