Effectiveness of music therapy in relation to the mental health of spinal cord injury patients at Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP)

Abstract

Introduction: Many studies have shown the positive effects of music therapy on managing anxiety, stress, and depression. Therefore the study examined how effectiveness of music therapy in relation to the mental health of spinal cord injury patients. Aim: The purpose of this study is to find out effectiveness of music therapy in relation to the mental health of spinal cord injury patients. Objectives: To find out depression, anxiety and stress level of spinal cord injury patients before and after attending to the music therapy session. Methodology: A sample of 13 spinal cord injury patients was recruited and purposively assigned to a treatment group (n = 13). Before the start of the music therapy session, researchers collected pre-test data from participants. Then participants received 45 minutes of group music therapy sessions for eight sessions after completing an eight-session researcher collected post-test data and compared it to their pre and post-test scores. Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21). Results: Findings from the study indicated that music therapy is significantly effective at reducing depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis that music therapy is a good therapeutic treatment approach for the treatment of spinal cord injury patients. Key Terms: Effectiveness, Music Therapy, Mental Health, SCI.