| Abstract |
Respected Editor, Depression is a widely prevalent and debilitating mood disorder affecting 44% of Pakistan’s entire population, with women affected twice as much as men [1]. It is characterized by persistent low mood, lack of interest, fatigability, worthlessness, and recurrent thoughts of suicide. At present, pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are considered as gold standard modalities for treating depression. However, these therapies have shown reduction, but not absolute remission [2]. Moreover, poor adherence to the aforementioned treatments due to side‐effects from medication and stigma attached to pursuing talking therapy suggests that alternative approaches need to be implemented urgently, either alone or in conjunction with traditional therapy. Music therapy is defined as a non-pharmacological means of treating depression using music or its elements to ameliorate the functioning of individuals with various somatic and psychological illnesses [3]. Evidence shows that music therapy has previously been used in a variety of ways as a part of a therapeutic regimen for people with depression and, thus, needs to be investigated further as a potential treatment option. Several studies including, a meta-analysis [4] and a Cochrane systemic review [5], identified that music therapy combined with treatment, as usual, is associated with improvement in mood and functional abilities that go beyond those found with standard care alone. Music therapy also appears to be a bettertolerated treatment option, as indicated by low drop-out rates as compared to those receiving conventional psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Along with major depressive disorder, individual music therapy also proved to be beneficial for people suffering from other mental illnesses such as anxiety accompanying depression, social anxiety, postpartum depression, dementia, and schizophrenia [6]. Music therapy uses a diverse variety of techniques. However, they can be classified broadly as 'Active', where people perform, improvise, or write music, ...
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