Can Music Therapy Help Adults with Schizophrenia Improve Their Cognitive Skills? A Scoping Review

Abstract

Cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia can lead to functional disability and poor quality of life. Established cognitive remediation programs have variable results for adults with schizophrenia, with some participants receiving little or no benefit. This scoping review investigates the efficacy of music therapy as cognitive remediation for adults with schizophrenia. Literature was identified using electronic databases, reference list searching and citation tracking. A total of 13 studies met the criteria for inclusion. Results demonstrated that music therapy improved attention, executive function, language, memory, and processing speed. However, more research is required to better understand and develop cognitively beneficial music therapy programs for adults with schizophrenia.