Effects of group music therapy on depressive symptoms in women - The MUSED-study: Results from a randomized-controlled trial.

Background: Music can directly influence emotions, the regulation of which are known to be impaired in major depressive disorder (MDD). While music therapy (MT) could be an effective complement to treat MDD, studies investigating such effects have not yet yielded conclusive results. We hypothesized that group music therapy (GMT) might lead to a significant reduction of depressive symptoms (DS).

Characteristics of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase as psychobiological study outcomes in palliative care research.

Background: Psychosocial interventions are rapidly emerging in palliative care. However, randomized trials often fail to provide evidence for their effectiveness with regard to patient-reported outcomes. Stress biomarkers could complement self-report data, but little is known about their feasibility, acceptance, and interpretability.

Feeling low and unhappy together? An actor-partner-interdependence model uncovering the linkage between different operationalizations of relationship quality and depression in different-sex couples.

Some studies suggest a bi-directional association between low relationship quality and depression. However, the social impact of depression and the potential preventative effects of healthy relationships are not yet sufficiently understood, as studies have shown heterogenous results for effects in both directions. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to differentiate the actor and partner effects of this association more comprehensively using two measures to capture characteristics of relationship quality-firstly regarding general aspects of social system quality and secondly considering specific aspects of the romantic relationship.

Change Mechanism of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training for Couples with Depression: An Exploratory Empirical Investigation of Process Variables.

Compassion training seems to be a promising intervention for couples to improve individual psychopathology and relationship quality. Beyond studying the efficacy of training such as Cognitively-Based Compassion Training or ouples (CBCT-), it is important to gain insights into the putative mechanisms along the process. Theoretically derived presumed mechanisms of compassion training (clarification of values, self-regulation, decentering, and exposure) and additional therapeutic factors (emotional bond, social learning, and clarification of meaning) were studied over the course of a 10-session-long group-based CBCT- among women with depressive disorders.

A new way to measure partner burden in depression: Construction, validation, and sensitivity to change of the partner burden in depression questionnaire.

Depression occurs in an interpersonal dynamic and living with a depressed person can lead to a significant burden on the partner. Instruments measuring burden do not address couples and often measure caregiving for individuals with schizophrenic disorders. The partner burden in depression (PBD) questionnaire is a new instrument measuring PBD by asking individuals, (1) which symptoms they can observe in their depressed partners and (2) to which degree this burdens them.

Evidence-Based Guidelines for Prehospital Pain Management: Recommendations.

This project sought to develop evidence-based guidelines for the administration of analgesics for moderate to severe pain by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) clinicians based on a separate, previously published, systematic review of the comparative effectiveness of analgesics in the prehospital setting prepared by the University of Connecticut Evidence-Based Practice Center for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). A technical expert panel (TEP) was assembled consisting of subject matter experts in prehospital and emergency care, and the development of evidence-based guidelines and patient care guidelines. A series of nine "patient/population-intervention-comparison-outcome" (PICO) questions were developed based on the Key Questions identified in the AHRQ systematic review, and an additional PICO question was developed to specifically address analgesia in pediatric patients.

Psychoneuroendocrinological effects of music therapy versus mindfulness in palliative care: results from the 'Song of Life' randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Although research on psychosocial interventions in palliative care provided evidence for their effectiveness regarding patient-reported outcomes, few studies have examined their psychobiological effects yet. Therefore, the purpose of the present work as part of an overarching study was to investigate differential effects of music therapy versus mindfulness on subjective distress and both neuroendocrine and autonomic stress biomarkers.

Methods: A total of 104 patients from two palliative care units were randomly assigned to three sessions of either music therapy or mindfulness.

Mindfulness-Based Couple Interventions: A Systematic Literature Review.

Over the past decades, mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to improve individual health and well-being in clinical and nonclinical settings. More recently, secular contemplative trainings were adapted to the couple context as research showed satisfying couple relationships to be one of the strongest predictors of physical and mental health. Mindfulness-based interventions hence seem to be a promising treatment in couple counseling and therapy in both clinical and nonclinical settings.

"Song of Life": Results of a multicenter randomized trial on the effects of biographical music therapy in palliative care.

Background: Awareness for the importance of psychological and spiritual needs in patients with terminal diseases has increased in recent years, but randomized trials on the effects of psychosocial interventions are still rare.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of the "Song of Life" music therapy intervention regarding the emotional and psycho-spiritual dimensions of quality of life.

Design: Patients were randomly assigned to either "Song of Life" or a relaxation intervention.

Corrigendum: Music Therapy in the Psychosocial Treatment of Adult Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.

Instructed Partnership Appreciation in Depression: Effects on Mood, Momentary Relationship Satisfaction, and Psychobiological Arousal.

Background: Depressive disorders are associated with attentional bias and social anhedonia. There is evidence supporting the hypothesis that depressed individuals participate less in potentially rewarding social situations and exhibit alterations in stress reactivity. With the present study, we aimed at investigating the affective and psychobiological response of couples with a depressed (female) partner in an instructed partnership appreciation task (PAT) that included positive and appreciative communication.

Neuroendocrine mechanisms of grief and bereavement: A systematic review and implications for future interventions.

Bereavement is associated with many negative behavioural, psychological and physiological consequences and leads to an increased risk of mortality and morbidity. However, studies specifically examining neuroendocrine mechanisms of grief and bereavement have yet to be reviewed. This systematic review is a synthesis of the latest evidence in this field and aims to draw conclusions about the implications of neurobiological findings on the development of new interventions.

Stress-reducing effects of a brief mindfulness intervention in palliative care: Results from a randomised, crossover study.

Objective: Mindfulness-based interventions are a widely used and highly accepted adjunct treatment in oncology. Due to a paucity of research in advanced cancer and other terminal illnesses, we aimed to evaluate the stress-reducing effects of a brief, standardised mindfulness intervention for use in palliative care.

Methods: This study was a randomised, crossover trial where patients participated in both a single mindfulness intervention and a resting state control condition.

Music Therapy in the Psychosocial Treatment of Adult Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Music therapy is used as an adjunct oncological treatment aiming at the improvement of psychological and physical well-being through music. A growing body of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials has been published and reviewed recently. However, a global, quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of music therapy in adult cancer care is missing.

Psychosocial Interventions for Pain Management in Advanced Cancer Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose Of Review: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the evidence on the effects of psychosocial interventions on pain in advanced cancer patients.

Recent Findings: The included studies investigated the effects of relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy, music therapy, mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions, and supportive-expressive group therapy. Overall, we found a small, but significant effect on pain intensity (d = - 0.

"Song of Life (SOL)" study protocol: a multicenter, randomized trial on the emotional, spiritual, and psychobiological effects of music therapy in palliative care.

Background: Although patients in palliative care commonly report high emotional and spiritual needs, effective psychosocial treatments based on high quality studies are rare. First research provides evidence for benefits of psychosocial interventions in advanced cancer care. To specifically address end-of-life care requirements, life review techniques and creative-arts based therapies offer a promising potential.

Enhancing Social Interaction in Depression (SIDE study): protocol of a randomised controlled trial on the effects of a Cognitively Based Compassion Training (CBCT) for couples.

Introduction: Positive social interactions (PSIs) and stable relationships can exert substantial benefits on health. However, patients suffering from depression benefit less from these health-promoting effects. Moreover, relationship quality and even partners' health has been found to be negatively affected by depressive symptomatology, which may result in overall impairments in social functioning of a romantic couple.

'Song of Life': music therapy in terminally ill patients with cancer.

Objectives: Music therapy (MT) holds a promising potential to meet emotional and existential needs in palliative care patients. The aim of the present pilot study was to assess the feasibility, acceptance and potential effectiveness of a novel MT intervention to improve life closure and spiritual well-being of terminally ill patients with cancer receiving palliative care.

Methods: The 'Song of Life' (SOL) intervention was provided on two consecutive sessions containing a biographical interview and a live performance of a song with high biographical relevance to the patient in a lullaby style.

Insomnia and Autonomic Function Predict Well-Being in Patients Receiving Palliative Care.

Background: The improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is one of the main treatment goals in end-of-life care. Although definitions and conceptualizations remain heterogeneous, many researchers proposed HRQOL to be considered as subjective patient well-being. However, research on its determinants in palliative care is rare, and little is known about the interplay between psychological and biological variables.

[Effects of Monochord Music on Heart Rate Variability and Self-Reports of Relaxation in Healthy Adults].

Background: Music-based interventions are considered an effective and low-cost treatment option for stress-related symptoms. The present study aimed to examine the trajectories of the psychophysiological response in apparently healthy participants during a music-based relaxation intervention compared to a verbal relaxation exercise.

Material And Methods: 70 participants were assigned to either receptive live music (experimental group) or a prerecorded verbal relaxation exercise (control group).