Integrative music therapy for depression-related disorders

INTERVENTION: The study is a randomised 2 × 2 factorial trial using four conditions: integrative improvisational music therapy (IIMT), IIMT enhanced with music listening (ML), IIMT enhanced with vibroacoustic treatment (VA), and IIMT enhanced with both ML and VA. All sessions regardless of the condition will begin with a preparation exercise called Resonance Frequency Breathing (RFB). A therapy process consisting of 12 sessions, 60 minutes each, is offered to each of the groups. In addition, there will be a waiting‐list control group to whom traditional IIMT will be offered after two months (equal to the approximate duration of the intervention) of the baseline measurements. There are overall four to five measurement points in this study: during the recruitment of the participants (baseline), 6 weeks after the beginning of the intervention (post‐intervention), 6 months after the beginning of the intervention (first follow‐up) and 12 months after the beginning of the intervention (second follow‐up). The control group will have an additional measurement point 6 weeks after the baseline tests which also acts as a new baseline for the intervention. The measures conducted during the recruitment of the participants will also be the ones that determine participants’ eligibility for the study. In addition to the outcome measures demographics such as gender, age, and socio‐economic background will be inquired at the beginning of the intervention. The health care professional, responsible for testing, will collect the health background information and possible changes in treatment and care during the testing appointments. CONDITION: Depression related disorders, e.g. depression, anxiety, work related stress and burnout. ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders PRIMARY OUTCOME: Psychological distress measured using the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation ‐ Outcome (CORE‐OM) at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months SECONDARY OUTCOME: The following secondary outcome measures are assessed at all time points at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months: ; 1. Depression measured using the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS); 2. Anxiety measured using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS); 3. Exhaustion measured using the Karolinska Exhaustion Disorder Scale (KEDS); 4. Burnout measured using the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT); 5. Health‐related quality of life measured using the RAND 36‐Item Health Survey; 6. Alexithymia measured using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS‐20) INCLUSION CRITERIA: Working‐age adults (18‐65 years of age) suffering from one or several of the following disorders: 1. Depression (ICD‐10: F32 or F33), as screened by MADRS 2. Anxiety (ICD‐10: F41), as screened by HADS‐A 3. Work‐place stress, or burnout, as screened by KEDS