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Open research questions in Music Therapy and Health

345 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,481 Music Therapy and Health papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The lack of exploration of music as a form of therapy, - The need to address the stigma of mental health treatment, - The importance of examining the intersection of music and mental health

    Antidepressants by Suede: songs of fear, unease and worry – Psychiatry in music · 2026 · DOI

  • The evidence base for effective interventions for young adults with depression is limited. Prior studies have primarily focused on older adults, with a mean age of participants being much older. There is a need for accessible, engaging interventions that can reduce depressive symptoms and improve social connectedness in young adults.

    The effects of a salsa dance intervention in young people with mild to moderately severe depressive symptoms · 2026 · DOI

  • Fewer studies have examined accessible interventions that may support healthcare professionals during the workday. There is a need to investigate the effect of music-based interventions on clinician wellbeing.

    Sound relief: Restorative Music as a strategy to improve clinician wellbeing · 2026 · DOI

  • Lack of a comprehensive framework to explain how audience presence shapes music performance anxiety. Limited understanding of the role of audience-related processes in MPA. Need for a framework that integrates external audience conditions and internally generated audience representations.

    Reconceptualizing audience presence in music performance anxiety: a multilevel framework of external conditions and internal representation · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the present framework offers a multilevel account of audience-related processes in MPA, several limitations and boundary conditions should be acknowledged. In the interest of theoretical par- simony, the model prioritizes audience identity as a major interpretive component and focuses on audience-related appraisal rather than attempting to incorporate every factor associated with performance anxiety. These limitations define the current scope of the framework and identify directions for construct validation, empirical testing, and theoretical extension. 4.3.1 Construct validity and empirical testing A primary limitation is that IA, PEI, and PSE are newly proposed or newly specified constructs whose psychometric properties and empirical distinctiveness have not yet been established. IA should be distinguished from general performance imagery, observer-perspec- tive imagery, self-criticism, self-evaluation based solely on personal standards, and Elkind’s imaginary audience. The discriminant validity of PEI should likewise be examined in relation to related socioevalu- ative constructs. Further clarification is required regarding the temporal status of these constructs. IA may contain relatively stable audience representa- tions while varying in its situational activation. PEI may reflect both established expectations and moment-to-moment updating during reciprocal interaction. PSE is proposed primarily as a context-sensitive appraisal state, although repeated appraisal patterns may produce rela- tively stable individual tendencies. Experience-sampling, repeated- measures, and longitudinal designs may be particularly useful for distinguishing stable representations from situational changes. The internal structure of PSE also requires empirical examination. Research should determine whether evaluative salience, evaluative

    Reconceptualizing audience presence in music performance anxiety: a multilevel framework of external conditions and internal representation · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the long-term effects of 15 Hz-BPM on combat performance and recovery responses, - Examine the effects of 15 Hz-BPM on professional kickboxers, - Compare the effects of different types of music and binaural beats on combat performance and recovery responses

    Beta frequency binaural beats combined with preferred music enhance combat performance and recovery responses in amateur kickboxers: a randomized crossover trial · 2025 · DOI

  • Implementing the program in current healthcare institutions due to the need for human resources, materials, and time. The difficulty of patients traveling to the hospital for in-person sessions. The need for conditions adapted to the program.

    Design of a nursing psychoeducation program to reduce preoperative anxiety in adults · 2024 · DOI

  • the implementation requires conditions adapted to the program, such as human resources, materials, and the professional's availability of time, - the difficulty of the patient traveling to the hospital, - the program is limited to individuals who can read and write and have no cognitive or behavioral disorders

    Design of a nursing psychoeducation program to reduce preoperative anxiety in adults · 2024 · DOI

  • further research is needed to investigate the long-term effects of the salsa dance intervention, - research should be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the intervention in different populations, - studies should be done to explore the mechanisms by which social dance reduces depressive symptoms

    The effects of a salsa dance intervention in young people with mild to moderately severe depressive symptoms · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationship between music performance anxiety and sleep problems and disordered eating among Chinese music students is not well understood. The moderating effects of music performance and learning self-efficacy on these associations are not well investigated.

    Music performance anxiety, sleep problems, and disordered eating: the role of performance and learning self-efficacy · 2026 · DOI

  • 5 Limitations and future directions Several limitations of the present study should be acknowl- edged.

    Music performance anxiety, sleep problems, and disordered eating: the role of performance and learning self-efficacy · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite extensive literature on the mental health impact of war, music therapists' lived experiences during active conflict remain underexplored.

    Practice-Oriented Model of Mutual Resonance in Collective Trauma: Music Therapists Amid War · 2026 · DOI

  • However, music therapy's effects on mood states for people with ABI, and their caregivers, remain underexplored, particularly in non-Western contexts.

    Song-Based Intervention for Mood States for Individuals With Acquired Brain Injury and Their Caregivers: A Pilot Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Although well researched in psychology and play therapy, few studies have directly explored music therapist attributes.

    Attributes of Pediatric Music Therapists: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent Descriptions · 2025 · DOI

  • Background The impact of singing on cardiovascular health has not been extensively studied.

    Effects of singing on vascular health in older adults with coronary artery disease: a randomized, crossover trial · 2025 · DOI

  • Nonetheless, few studies have explored this phenomenon in patients following cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass.

    Kinesiophobia and associated factors among patients after cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass: a cross-sectional study · 2025 · DOI

  • However, there are limited studies in Saudi Arabia concerning levels of satisfaction and the recall of preoperative education among patients undergoing elective surgeries.

    Nurse-Led Preoperative Education for Elective Surgery: Patient Satisfaction and Recall in a Mixed-Method Study · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited data exist on this concern in Africa, with no studies conducted in Sudan.

    Prevalence and associated factors for preoperative anxiety among women undergoing elective cesarean delivery in eastern Sudan: a cross-sectional study · 2025 · DOI

  • Likewise, the potential synergistic effects of these interventions have not yet been thoroughly examined.

    Ergogenic Effects of Combined Caffeine Supplementation and Motivational Music on Anaerobic Performance in Female Handball Players: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial · 2025 · DOI

  • Since the validity and reliability of the Persian version of FABQ (FABQ-P) have not been assessed based on the Iranian population and sociocultural contexts, the current study has been implemented to determine the reliability and validity of the FABQ-P among Iranian post-operative patients by translation and psychometric properties.

    The persian version of the fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire among iranian post-surgery patients: a translation and psychometrics · 2024 · DOI

  • Introduction: So far, the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale have not been assessed in Iran.

    Psychometric properties of the pain anxiety symptom scale among postoperative patients in Amol, Iran · 2024 · DOI

  • However, one limitation of this music therapy is that the classification of the five elements and its application is mainly based on subjective judgment.

    The Modernization of Oriental Music Therapy: Five-Element Music Therapy Combined with Artificial Intelligence · 2024 · DOI

  • The use of VR as a preparation tool may improve patient experience and contribute to better surgical outcomes, warranting further research into exploring the potential benefits of VR in other surgical specialties and its long-term impact on patient recovery.

    A Preparatory Virtual Reality Experience Reduces Anxiety before Surgery in Gynecologic Oncology Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial · 2024 · DOI

  • This study should lead to more focused recommendations for practice and further research into non-pharmacological interventions in dementia such as music therapy.

    The effects of individual music therapy in nursing home residents with dementia to improve general well-being: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial · 2024 · DOI

  • Psychiatry often neglects the wider sonic environment in which patients live and recover - The mechanisms involved in music and rhythm's effects on affective and motivational circuits are not fully understood

    Practical rhythm: integrating sound and attunement into psychiatric care · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Music Therapy and Health

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345 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,481 Music Therapy and Health papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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