Author(s) :

Coral Bhattacharjee.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This narrative review examines current evidence on music therapy for depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and related mental health conditions. Across the reviewed literature, both receptive and active music therapy approaches appear promising as adjuncts to standard care, with the strongest support seen in short-term improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, negative symptoms in schizophrenia, and selected quality-of-life outcomes. At the same time, the literature remains limited by heterogeneous protocols, uneven reporting of personalization strategies, inconsistent measurement of mechanisms such as stress regulation and adherence, and sparse longterm follow-up. Based on these recurring gaps, this paper also outlines a conceptual future study design centered on a closed loop personalized music therapy model that combines therapist-led sessions with adaptive home practice informed by symptom check-ins and heart rate variability. Overall, the reviewed evidence supports music therapy as a credible low-risk adjunctive approach while highlighting the need for more standardized and personalized future research.