Music Therapy and Emotional Well-being: A Narrative Review of Global Practices and Outcomes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61978/harmonia.v2i3.903Keywords:
Music Therapy, Emotional Well-Being, Mental Health Intervention, Community-Based Therapy, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Psychosocial Rehabilitation, AI-Assisted Music TherapyAbstract
Music therapy has gained increasing attention as an effective intervention for improving emotional well-being in diverse populations. This narrative review aimed to synthesize recent literature across clinical, educational, community, and cross-cultural contexts to assess the effectiveness and limitations of music-based interventions. A systematic search of databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted using targeted keywords and Boolean combinations. Eligible studies encompassed randomized controlled trials, observational research, and qualitative analyses that explicitly examined the relationship between music therapy and psychological outcomes. The results indicate that music therapy consistently reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, while enhancing cognitive and emotional functioning in stroke rehabilitation and improving quality of life in palliative care. In schools, music therapy programs were found to promote emotional regulation, empathy, and social connectedness, with culturally responsive interventions showing greater effectiveness for diverse student populations. Community and correctional settings further demonstrated music therapy’s capacity to foster social reintegration, reduce stigma, and strengthen coping mechanisms. Comparative evidence suggests that music therapy offers distinct benefits compared with other psychosocial interventions, particularly due to its ability to evoke immediate emotional and cognitive responses. However, methodological inconsistencies, limited cross-cultural studies, and systemic barriers such as inadequate funding and workforce shortages remain key challenges. The review underscores the urgency of integrating music therapy into public health and education policies, while calling for future research that employs standardized, longitudinal, and culturally inclusive approaches. By leveraging community engagement and technological innovation, music therapy can be positioned as a vital, evidence-based strategy for advancing global emotional well-being.
References
Amonkar, N., Su, W., Bhat, A., & Srinivasan, S. (2021). Effects of creative movement therapies on social communication, behavioral-affective, sensorimotor, cognitive, and functional participation skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.722874 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.722874
Aragon, L., Álvarez‐Díaz, A., Suárez, R., Amarillo, M., Mejía, C., & Ettenberger, M. (2024). Effect of a single live group music therapy intervention on anxiety-state and well-being levels during chemotherapy: A multicenter randomized clinical trial protocol. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.1177/27536130241310241 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/27536130241310241
Arizona, A., Hanurawan, F., Hidayah, N., Muslihati, M., & Ramli, M. (2023). Music therapy and public health: How to bridge the use of ethnic music for social anxiety. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 38(4), 539–540. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1049023x23005939 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X23005939
Beck, B., Lund, S., Søgaard, U., Simonsen, E., Tellier, T., Cordtz, T., … & Moe, T. (2018). Music therapy versus treatment as usual for refugees diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2662-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2662-z
Behzad, A., Feldmann-Schulz, C., Lenz, B., Clarkson, L., Ludwig, C., Luttenberger, K., … & Zimmermann, C. (2024). Taketina music therapy for outpatient treatment of depression: Study protocol for a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(9), 2494. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13092494 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13092494
Belgrave, M., Palmer, K., & Motyka, T. (2023). Creative aging in virtual spaces: Using museum content and music therapy to explore cultural diversity. Frontiers in Medicine, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1273000 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1273000
Dorris, J., Neely, S., Terhorst, L., VonVille, H., & Rodakowski, J. (2021). Effects of music participation for mild cognitive impairment and dementia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 69(9), 2659–2667. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.17208 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.17208
Estell, M., Whitford, K., Ulrich, A., Larsen, B., Wood, C., Bigelow, M., … & Lapid, M. (2024). Music therapy intervention to reduce symptom burden in hospice patients: A descriptive study. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 42(1), 102–111. https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091241237991 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091241237991
Gallagher, L., & Béthoux, F. (2017). Therapeutic use of the arts for patients with multiple sclerosis. US Endocrinology, 13(02), 82. https://doi.org/10.17925/use.2017.13.02.82 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17925/USE.2017.13.02.82
Gillespie, K., McConnell, T., Roulston, A., Potvin, N., Ghiglieri, C., Gadde, I., … & Graham‐Wisener, L. (2024). Music therapy for supporting informal carers of adults with life-threatening illness pre- and post-bereavement; A mixed-methods systematic review. BMC Palliative Care, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-024-01364-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-024-01364-z
Hamiduzzaman, M., Kuot, A., Greenhill, J., Strivens, E., Parajuli, D., & Isaac, V. (2023). Person-centred, culturally appropriate music intervention to improve psychological wellbeing of residents with advanced dementia living in Australian rural residential aged care homes. Brain Sciences, 13(7), 1103. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13071103 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13071103
Kehl, S., Ghaemmaghami, P., Haller, M., Pichler-Stachl, E., Bucher, H., Bassler, D., … & Haslbeck, F. (2020). Creative music therapy with premature infants and their parents: A mixed-method pilot study on parents’ anxiety, stress and depressive symptoms and parent–infant attachment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 265. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010265 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010265
Leale, I., Vinciguerra, C., Stefano, V., Brighina, F., & Battaglia, G. (2025). Effectiveness of telecoaching and music therapy in neurological disorders: A narrative review and proposal for a new interventional approach. Healthcare, 13(7), 826. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13070826 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13070826
Liu, X., Chen, H., Joubert, N., & Tiirola, H. (2025). The mechanism by 18 RCTs psychosocial interventions affect the personality, emotions, and behaviours of paediatric and young adult cancer patients: A systematic review. Healthcare, 13(10), 1094. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13101094 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13101094
Liu, Y. (2021). Research on mental health intervention of college students based on music therapy. Revista Brasileira De Medicina Do Esporte, 27(spe), 40–42. https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-8692202127012020_0106 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-8692202127012020_0106
March-Luján, V., Prado‐Gascó, V., Huguet, J., Cortés, X., Arquiola, J., Capilla-Igual, M., … & Ortí, J. (2021). Impact of BMGIM music therapy on emotional state in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(8), 1591. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10081591 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10081591
Moula, Z., Powell, J., & Karkou, V. (2022). Qualitative and arts-based evidence from children participating in a pilot randomised controlled study of school-based arts therapies. Children, 9(6), 890. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060890 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060890
Nyashanu, M., Ikhile, D., & Pfende, F. (2020). Exploring the efficacy of music in palliative care: A scoping review. Palliative & Supportive Care, 19(3), 355–360. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1478951520001042 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951520001042
Pezzin, L., Larson, E., Lorber, W., McGinley, E., & Dillingham, T. (2018). Music-instruction intervention for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: A randomized pilot study. BMC Psychology, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-018-0274-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-018-0274-8
Preißler, P., Kordovan, S., Ullrich, A., Bokemeyer, C., & Oechsle, K. (2016). Favored subjects and psychosocial needs in music therapy in terminally ill cancer patients: A content analysis. BMC Palliative Care, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-016-0122-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-016-0122-7
Raghavan, P., Geller, D., Guerrero, N., Aluru, V., Eimicke, J., Teresi, J., … & Turry, A. (2016). Music upper limb therapy—integrated: An enriched collaborative approach for stroke rehabilitation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00498 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00498
Rahayu, D., Atmoko, A., Muslihati, M., Setyowati, A., & Mudjijanti, F. (2023). Establishing music therapy as an alternative to reducing compassion fatigue among health workers. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 38(4), 546–547. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1049023x2300599x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X2300599X
Reidy, J., & MacDonald, M. (2021). Use of palliative care music therapy in a hospital setting during COVID-19. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 24(11), 1603–1605. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2020.0739 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2020.0739
Reitere, Ē., Duhovská, J., Karkou, V., & Mārtinsone, K. (2024). Telehealth in arts therapies for neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders: A scoping review. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1484726 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1484726
Samson, S., Clément, S., Narme, P., Schiaratura, L., & Ehrlé, N. (2015). Efficacy of musical interventions in dementia: Methodological requirements of nonpharmacological trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1337(1), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12621 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12621
Shan, J., & Qi, X. (2024). Effects of music therapy in the context of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment (PERMA) on negative emotions in patients with mild-to-moderate depression. Noise and Health, 26(122), 363–369. https://doi.org/10.4103/nah.nah_57_24 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/nah.nah_57_24
Shushardzhan, S., Allik, T., & Eremina, N. (2022). Meso-forte — innovative method for musical-acoustic psychotherapy and neurohormonal correction with anti-aging effect: Clinical study. Bulletin of Restorative Medicine, 21(1), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.38025/2078-1962-2022-21-1-79-85 DOI: https://doi.org/10.38025/2078-1962-2022-21-1-79-85
Sudha, T., Raja, P., & Bharathi, V. (2024). Harmony wave. IGI Global, 197–220. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-6552-6.ch009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-6552-6.ch009
Tripathi, J., Singh, S., & Khan, W. (2022). Raga therapy an effective treatment for stress management. Defence Life Science Journal, 7(1), 11–16. https://doi.org/10.14429/dlsj.7.17056 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14429/dlsj.7.17056
Uhlig, S., Jansen, E., & Scherder, E. (2016). Study protocol rapmusictherapy for emotion regulation in a school setting. Psychology of Music, 44(5), 1068–1081. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735615608696 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735615608696
Uhlig, S., Jansen, E., & Scherder, E. (2017). “Being a bully isn’t very cool…”: Rap & sing music therapy for enhanced emotional self-regulation in an adolescent school setting – A randomized controlled trial. Psychology of Music, 46(4), 568–587. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735617719154 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735617719154
Váradi, J. (2022). A review of the literature on the relationship of music education to the development of socio-emotional learning. SAGE Open, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211068501 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211068501
Vik, B., Skeie, G., & Specht, K. (2019). Neuroplastic effects in patients with traumatic brain injury after music-supported therapy. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00177 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00177
Warth, M., Koehler, F., Weber, M., Bardenheuer, H., Ditzen, B., & Keßler, J. (2019). “Song of life (SOL)” study protocol: A multicenter, randomized trial on the emotional, spiritual, and psychobiological effects of music therapy in palliative care. BMC Palliative Care, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-019-0397-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-019-0397-6
Zheng, J. (2024). Music sentiment analysis and its application in music therapy based on AI technology. The International Journal of Maritime Engineering. https://doi.org/10.5750/ijme.v1i1.1358 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5750/ijme.v1i1.1358
