The impact of group music therapy for individuals with eating disorders

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined the impact of group music therapy upon individuals receiving inpatient treatment for eating disorders. There was a total of 21 participants ranging between the ages of 16 and 58. Participants’ lived experiences of music therapy, including music’s effects on mood and emotion regulation, were explored. Data collected through the “PANAS” (Positive and Negative Affect Scale) (Watson et al., 1988), and subscales of the “DERS” (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale) (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), and “ERQ” (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) (Gross & John, 2003), demonstrated that participants experienced a decrease in negative affect, as well as an increased ability to express emotion after participating in music therapy. Data collected through audio recordings and transcriptions of music therapy and focus group sessions suggested that, through creating and playing music together, participants discovered music’s ability to represent various aspects of themselves and their recovery journeys, music’s potential to support them to externalise, shift, and stay with emotions, and music’s capacity to foster social connection.