Abstract
Family members who serve as caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia have described experiencing elevated levels of stress, anxiety, or depression as a result of caregiving tasks. Studies have reported the effectiveness of support groups for caregivers in reducing these symptoms. Additionally, as music influences neural structures similar to those activated during responses to stress, anxiety, and depression, there are implications for music-based experiences to provide support to caregivers. While combined caregiver/care receiver experiences in music therapy exist in the literature, there are minimal published resources that offer caregiver-only support. Therefore, this study explored the impact of a music therapy support group on perceived stress, anxiety, and depression in long-term caregivers. Four female adults (M = 62.50 years, SD = 14.15) participated in six music therapy support group sessions, each lasting one hour, that met every other week. To examine intervention effect, participants completed the Zarit Burden Interview (Zarit et al., 1980), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (Spielberger et al., 1983), and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977), prior to their first session and following the final session. To measure session effect, participants completed three Visual Analog Scales at the beginning and end of each session, rating current perceived levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Finally, following completion of the six music therapy support group sessions, two participants completed a semi-structured group interview to examine their perception of the impact of the group on their stress, anxiety, and depression. Music therapy support group sessions included seven activities: verbal check-in, movement to music exercise, guided breathing experience, music listening or group singing of a song related to the session theme, songwriting or song discussion, caregiving discussion, and verbal check-in. A series of paired t-tests were conducted on all pre-session/post-session and pretest/posttest measures. No statistically significant results emerged. However, there were trends of stress, anxiety, and depression ratings decreasing from pre- to post-session, except one session, in which pre-test scores were 0 and remained unchanged. There were also trends of all three measures increasing from pre- to post-intervention. A content analysis of the semi-structured interview yielded two themes: receiving support from group members, and personal support strategies employed outside of the music therapy support group sessions. Interview and pre- and post-session results support the potential benefit of a music therapy support group on acute feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression in long-term caregivers. Future recommendations for interventions and research are discussed, such as increasing the number of music therapy support group sessions and incorporating a take-home component for participants to employ strategies learned in sessions during moments of stress, anxiety, and depression experienced outside of the music therapy support group sessions.