Could Music Group Therapy Improve Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Background: Negative symptoms of schizophrenia refer to the weakening or lack of normal thoughts, emotions or behaviors. Music therapy has been suggested to reduce negative symptoms, but the existing evidence is limited in Taiwan. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of music group therapy would improve negative symptoms of schizophrenia in acute psychiatric ward.

Methods ： We take the scenario and asked an answerable clinical question, then acquired best evidence. Music therapy would improve negative symptoms of schizophrenia in acute psychiatric ward. The evidence was level 3. We applied the result in clinical practice. This study wants to take 100 subjects who admit in acute psychiatric ward, age is over 20 years old, diagnosis is schizophrenia. Subjects could declare and sign name, but exclude confusion, violence and escape condition. All subjects received the original interventions of drug therapy, occupational therapy, group active ... and other care, the experimental group receive eight times music group therapy that are 45 minutes twice a week. The processes of group include listening music, singing, playing musical instruments, declaring feelings, games or performances. All study subjects are evaluated by structured questionnaire interviews BPRS, MMSE, SANS and interpersonal functions scale (IFC) on pretest and posttest. Data are coded and input into a computer, checked for accuracy, and then analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics and analysis methods in mean, standard deviation and wilcoxon signed ranks test.

Results: The gender of experimental subjects was 49.1% (n=26) in males and 50.9% (n=27) in females. 75.5% experimental subjects was single. 30.2% subjects’ education was high school and 45.3% was college. The results of experimental group : BPRS( p = .000), SANS (p = .000), MMSE (p = .002), and IFC (p = .042).

Discussion: Music therapy would improve the negative symptoms, interpersonal relation and cognitive in the results of experimental subjects. In music group therapy, group leader need to consider the culture and patients’ condition, leading and adjusting group process. No matter the effectiveness of statistic, music therapy is a safe and economy method to use in schizophrenia patients.