Music therapy and clients who are chemically dependent: A review of literature and pilot study

In summary, as evident from the literature reviewed above, there is a considerable lack of quantitative research in music therapy and chemical dependence/substance abuse. Although music therapy interventions such as relaxation training, lyric analysis, and songwriting have proven to be effective with a variety of populations (including chemical dependency), few studies have attempted to evaluate the enjoyment and therapeutic effectiveness of these commonly practiced music therapy techniques used to treat persons who are chemically dependent. Furthermore, no studies have been found that compare music therapy and other group interventions used in the long-term treatment of chemical dependence. The purpose of this study was to determine how women in long-term treatment for chemical dependence perceived different music therapy interventions. Additionally, this study compared music therapy with other group interventions received by the given population.