Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1.
Participant recruitment flowchart.
Tables
Section Description Section 1 Music therapist improvises an opening music experience in E major tonal center on guitar that serves as an ‘invocation' to participate in the session and as a key to ritualize the experience. Section 2 Breath-focused music-driven meditation. Section 3 Guided visualization experience accompanied by guitar music in D mixolydian mode with gentle suggestions to channel a “safe and comfortable place.” Section 4 Modified “song sensitation” experience21 that involves listening to a song chosen by the group or therapist; sharing thoughts about the lyrics and themes; and re-actualizing the song, such that the final product carries a new meaning contextualized to the therapeutic space. Section 5 Music therapist plays a closing song that is initially chosen by the therapist, and in subsequent sessions by the participants. Characteristic* N (%) Age in years 25 to 35 3 (50.0) 36 to 45 2 (33.3) 46 to 55 1 (16.7) Gender Identity Man 2 (33.3) Woman 4 (66.7) Race/Ethnicity Black, Non-Hispanic 4 (66.7) Hispanic 1 (16.7) White, Non-Hispanic 1 (16.7) Location Rural 2 (33.3) Urban 4 (66.7) Substance Used N (†) Alcohol 6 (4) Cannabis 5 Heroin 1 (1) Cocaine 1 (1) LSD and other psychedelics 1 Prescription stimulant pills 1 Molly/MDMA/ecstasy 1 ↵*All demographics except for location were self-reported and the language used is reflected in this table. Gender options also included Non-binary, Transgender, Prefer not to answer.
†Number of participants who identified this substance use as harmful.
Abbreviations: LSD, Lysergic acid diethylamide; MDMA, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
Theme Representative Quotes The Importance of Community “Community, the connection piece of it is paramount. Connection is the opposite of addiction.”
“I think it’s been really helpful, being able to have these conversations with people that are in similar situations.”
“It [compelled] me to listen and hear more and reflect and see the similarities. I can relate to what they were saying.”
“I enjoyed the group sessions slightly more [than the individual one], just because I was able to hear other people's perspectives. And I think you can learn a lot from listening.”
“That’s the thing I like about the group aspect, the riffraff of the conversation and the community and connection.”
“I miss the rest of the guys.”
“I would look forward to the group therapy sessions. Like, I get to talk to people.”An Appreciation of Music “Music is very integral in my personal wellness, and I seek music to feel better and stay well and stay connected with myself.”
“Yeah, I'm a music person. I love music. It's part of my life, music.”
“[Music] made me think about happier times.”
“I liked the actual music-playing part of it.”
“I’ve leaned in way more to music since we started this session, and I’ve always enjoyed music.”
“So it allows [meditation] to happen easier because there’s a rhythm. It’s easier to breathe when following a rhythm of something that’s calming.”
“There’s also the voice, the listening -- he just happened to have a calming voice which was helpful.”Ambivalence About In-Person versus Online MT “I'd be willing to try both. In-person is more personal for other people.”
“We still see the person, but you'll just be comfortable in your own home. That's better.”
“I was able to attend for the little time that I did, not having to be there physically, which was cool.”
“But there’s that in-person – it brings an added factor and benefit to see people. But they made it work.”Theme Representative Quotes A Sense of Calm and Comfort “Like how you do this therapy with the breathing, when you play the guitar, it’s really soothing and relaxing.”
“So it just brings me back to a place of inner calm and peace, any time I listen to you play, because it's a comfort thing.”
“I was going a thousand miles an hour trying to worry about all sorts of stuff, so it’s very helpful to slow down, be present in the moment. The music helps, it definitely does.”
“It was soothing. I really felt relaxed; and the quietness and the music blended everything. I felt like I was floating.”
“It really calms me down, especially if I had a bad day.”
“So it was cool to know and feel that I felt safe, at the present moment, here, in my new house. That was awesome.”
“This was a great session today guys, really lifted my spirits.”
“Just listening and thinking: it was a really good, de-stressing thing. So it definitely helped my mood.”
“It really put a smile on my face. I was looking forward to it and I was happy.”A Means of Self-Care “I’ll play music, and it calms me and centers me. That’s something that I’ve found really helpful over the last couple weeks.”
“I’m more in tune with how [music] can be beneficial.”
“The ability to recognize that I’m in an amped up emotional state. And having one more tool to deescalate or down regulate. Having that extra tool to be, like, alright, play some soft music, breathe, slow down, is helpful.”
“Finding different ways: whether it was a breathing exercise, or turning on the music, it just gave me different outlets that I could de-stress.”
“It's really soothing. Like, I get stressed out about something, I typically will turn to music and I'll put on my acoustic, chill music because I think there's something calming while listening to the guitar strings.”Decreased Cravings “I don't drink at the time when I'm doing [MT]. And I don't have the desire to when I am listening to the music.”
“Knowing that, at that time, I wouldn't be drinking.”
“Knowing I was going into the group, that was comforting, so my cravings were lessened.”
“The one substance that I was trying to get help around my usage, yes it did help with that.”
“I try to use these MT sessions as a foundation that I've been really working on cutting back. So I crave it not as much as I used to - but I still definitely crave it - but I've been working really hard not to indulge in it.”
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