THE IMPACT OF MUSIC THERAPY ON BEHAVIOUR, COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, AND WELL-BEING – THEORETICAL PRESENTATION OF A DISSERTATION PROJECT

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61989592%3A15410%2F25%3A73634548" target="_blank" >RIV/61989592:15410/25:73634548 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://elibrary.pulib.sk/elpub/document/isbn/9788055536569" target="_blank" >https://elibrary.pulib.sk/elpub/document/isbn/9788055536569</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

—

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

THE IMPACT OF MUSIC THERAPY ON BEHAVIOUR, COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, AND WELL-BEING – THEORETICAL PRESENTATION OF A DISSERTATION PROJECT

Original language description

The subject of the paper: “It is striking that people with intellectual disabilities are practicallyabsent from key theoretical and methodological discussions as well as from empirical studiesin the field of music therapy and related therapeutic sciences. It is therefore reasonable toargue that people with intellectual disabilities are probably the most marginalized group ofpersons with disabilities in both society and research” (Vehmas &amp; Mietola 2021).In the context of music therapy, we can confirm the first part of this claim – that people withintellectual disabilities are largely absent from theoretical and methodological discussions aswell as from empirical research. Throughout the history of the music therapy profession, ithas been evident that music therapists are able to work creatively and accessibly with peoplewith intellectual disabilities, providing opportunities for personal development and supportinga strength-based approach. However, publications that describe such work in detail have oftenlacked a strong research foundation and have tended to resemble manuals or practitionerguides based on individual clinical experiences (Gross 2018). This gap between rich practicalexperience and limited scientific evidence represents a key problem that our research seeks toaddress.In 2022, we decided to explore the field of music therapy for people with intellectualdisabilities, primarily because there is a lack of comprehensive research focused on this areaworldwide. After thoroughly extracting data from available sources, we developed a literaturereview titled Music Therapy for People with Intellectual Disabilities. During the preparationof this review, we found that the subfield of music therapy focusing on individuals withintellectual disabilities has not been systematically studied anywhere. Since interventions inthis area often address a wide range of comorbidities – such as autism spectrum disorders,sensory impairments, or behavioural and emotional difficulties – we recognized that theconceptual and clinical scope of this topic is broad. To manage this complexity within oursystematic review, we plan to define clear inclusion criteria based on diagnostic categoriesand intervention types, allowing us to structure and analyse the evidence within coherentsubgroups.Systematic reviews are a type of study characterized by a very complex methodology. Theyprovide the highest level of scientific evidence and thus facilitate the faster and more effectiveimplementation of evidence-based knowledge into practice (Klugar 2015).Our current work focuses on a single quantitative systematic review that primarily assessesthe effectiveness of music therapy interventions for people with intellectual disabilities.11Depending on the scope and outcomes of this review, its findings may inform the design of asubsequent, broader review that could integrate different types of scientific evidence orcombine multiple systematic review approaches (Aromataris &amp; Munn 2020).Our goal is to generate evidence that can inform and improve professional practice in the fieldof music therapy for people with intellectual disabilities. To achieve this, we are conducting asystematic review aimed at identifying and evaluating the effectiveness of music therapyinterventions on behavioural, cognitive, and well-being outcomes. The implementationproject that will follow will focus on translating these evidence-based findings into practicalguidelines and tools for clinicians. One of the anticipated outputs is a methodologicalframework for music therapists working with people with intellectual disabilities, designed tosupport evidence-based and ethically grounded practice.Purpose of the paper: To outline the dissertation project that systematically investigates theeffectiveness of music therapy interventions for people with intellectual disabilities through aquantitative systematic review. The paper aims to demonstrate how evidence derived fromthis review can contribute to a more structured and empirically grounded understanding of thebehavioural, cognitive, and well-being outcomes associated with music therapy in thispopulation.Methodology: The study follows the systematic review methodology of the Joanna BriggsInstitute (JBI), Adelaide (Aromataris &amp; Munn 2020), and will be reported in accordance withthe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)checklist (Page et al. 2021). The protocol for the review has been completed and serves as thefoundation for the ongoing data collection and analysis.The review includes quantitative studies published up to 2025 that evaluate the effectivenessof music therapy interventions for people with intellectual disabilities. Inclusion criteria focuson participants diagnosed with intellectual disability (with or without comorbidities),interventions explicitly identified as music therapy, and outcomes related to behaviour,cognitive functions, or well-being.Data are being extracted and managed using the SUMARI software, with two independentreviewers conducting screening, critical appraisal, and data synthesis. A meta-analysis will beperformed where sufficient homogeneity of data is identified; otherwise, results will benarratively synthesised.In the subsequent implementation phase, evidence from the review will be translated intopractice through pilot testing of selected interventions and evaluation of their clinicalapplicability in music therapy settings. This process will inform the development ofmethodological guidelines and practice recommendations for music therapists.Results: The research is currently in progress; therefore, final results are not yet available.However, the analysis of the studies included so far indicates three preliminary thematic areasthat dominate the existing evidence base: (1) the impact of music therapy on behaviouralregulation and social interaction, (2) the role of musical activities in supporting cognitivedevelopment and attention, and (3) the contribution of music-based interventions to emotionalwell-being and quality of life.The paper presents the full process of developing the systematic review, including the searchstrategy, data extraction, and preliminary synthesis of findings across these thematic domains.This structure allows for an emerging interpretation of how different music therapyapproaches may influence behavioural, cognitive, and well-being outcomes in individualswith intellectual disabilities.12Summary: The study contributes to strengthening the evidence base of music therapy practicefor people with intellectual disabilities by systematically identifying and evaluating effectiveinterventions. Preliminary findings highlight the need for better standardisation ofintervention protocols and more consistent outcome measurement across studies.The systematic review forms the foundation for a subsequent implementation project that willtranslate synthesised evidence into practice guidelines and pilot applications in therapeuticsettings. While the review is limited by the methodological diversity and varying quality ofavailable studies, it provides a structured overview of current evidence and outlines cleardirections for further empirical and clinical development in the field.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

D - Article in proceedings

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

50302 - Education, special (to gifted persons, those with learning disabilities)

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Article name in the collection

DOKOPY 2025 Doktorandská konferencia Pedagogickej fakulty PU Zborník rozšírených abstraktov

ISBN

978-80-555-3656-9

ISSN

—

e-ISSN

—

Number of pages

3

Pages from-to

10-12

Publisher name

Prešovská univerzita v Prešove vo Vydavateľstve Prešovskej univerzity, 2025

Place of publication

Prešov

Event location

Prešov

Event date

Nov 14, 2025

Type of event by nationality

EUR - Evropská akce

UT code for WoS article

—