Music interventions with children, adolescents and emerging adults in mental health settings: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Music is increasingly used with youths in health and psychosocial interventions. We conducted a scoping review with the aim to provide an overview of the current available evidence on music intervention for youth in mental health settings, to inform practice and further research. METHODS: Three databases (PsycINFO, PubMed and CINAHL) were surveyed. Using the PRISMA review method, 23 studies met inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Young people aged from 4 to 25 years old with various mental health conditions participated in music interventions. Music therapy was the most investigated (71%). Improving social skills was the most frequent therapeutic aim addressed. Music interventions are mostly appreciated by the participants, but it is difficult to make conclusions about their effectiveness because of the heterogeneity of research designs and the limited current state of research. CONCLUSION: Music interventions appear to represent a promising complementary approach to usual psychiatric care, but further standardised research is necessary to continue investigating their therapeutic effects.

Social cognition and depression in adolescent girls.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Depression has been associated with alterations in social functioning. Decoding and understanding others' mental states and adaptive reasoning are important for social functioning. This study examined theory of mind (ToM) and socio-moral reasoning (SMR) in adolescent girls with and without depression. Within the depression group, we examined associations between relevant clinical features (depression severity, anxiety symptoms and borderline personality traits) and ToM and SMR. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, whereby 43 adolescent girls (mean age = 16.19, SD = 1.24) meeting full or subthreshold criteria for depression and 40 adolescent girls (mean age = 15.44, SD = 1.24) with no psychiatric diagnosis were recruited. ToM was assessed using the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition; SMR was evaluated via the Socio-Moral Reasoning Aptitude Level task. RESULTS: Analyses of covariance indicated that adolescents with depression did not differ from controls in ToM abilities but showed lower socio-maturity scores on the SMR task. This difference disappeared after controlling for the number of words used to justify responses. Amongst adolescents with depression, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that higher levels of borderline personality traits were associated with lower levels of mentalization (ToM task), and more severe depressive symptoms were associated with lower socio-moral maturity stages (SMR task) LIMITATIONS: Directional associations were not studied, and the sample included only girls. CONCLUSIONS: Findings may help to explain clinical heterogeneity in social cognitive functioning observed in individuals with depression.

Emotional facial expression recognition and depression in adolescent girls: Associations with clinical features.

Studies have reported that emotional facial expression recognition (EFER) may be altered in individuals with depression. This study examined EFER in adolescent girls with and without depression and further examined associations between relevant clinical features of depression and EFER. Fifty adolescent girls aged 12 to 19 years old meeting criteria for depression or subthreshold levels of symptomatology and 55 adolescent girls with no psychiatric diagnosis completed EFER tasks. Reaction time and accuracy for recognising expressions at high and low intensities, and sensitivity in recognising happiness, sadness, anger and fear were assessed. Data were analysed using linear mixed models. Adolescents with depression were marginally faster than those in the comparison group to recognize sadness, although this trend disappeared once covarying for age and antidepressant use. Amongst adolescents with depression, clinical features were associated with poorer EFER performance. In contrast, anxiety symptoms were linked to better accuracy and heightened sensitivity towards happiness. A better understanding of EFER in adolescent girls with and without depression, and how clinical features might be associated with altered patterns of EFER could help to explain clinical heterogeneity observed in such studies of adolescents with depression. Knowledge of socio-cognitive alterations associated with depression will help to better develop and tailor interventions.

Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a drum circle activity to improve affect in patients, families and staff of a pediatric hospital.

Background: Children, families and staff in pediatric hospitals often experience elevated psychological distress. Art-based initiatives, such as group drumming, have been proposed as strategies to support well-being in this context. Methods: This study evaluated the feasibility and potential benefits of a drum circle activity designed to improve the affective experience of patients, families and staff in a large pediatric hospital. A total of 48 patients, 16 employees and 15 visitors completed questionnaires before and after up to 12 joint drum circle sessions. A total of 12 respondents took part in semi-structured interviews. Results: Quantitative analyses showed significant pre-post-session increases in positive affect (beta = .48; p < .001) and decreases in negative affect (beta = -.29; p < .001). Qualitative results corroborated these findings, in addition to suggesting the safety of the activity as well as other potential benefits. Conclusions: This preliminary study supports the usefulness of group drumming to enhance the well-being of pediatric hospital patients, families and staff.

MAP: A Personalized Receptive Music Therapy Intervention to Improve the Affective Well-being of Youths Hospitalized in a Mental Health Unit.

The MAP is an innovative receptive music therapy intervention derived from psychomusical relaxation methods that aims to foster the well-being and recovery of youths with mental health problems by providing them with an adaptive and effective music-assisted means to regulate their mood states. In this quasi-experimental pilot study, we assessed the mood-enhancing potential of participation in MAP sessions delivered by a music therapist in an in-patient mental health facility for children and adolescents. Using short standardized self-reported questionnaires, 20 participants aged 9-17 years old (M = 14, SD = 2.4), mainly girls (13 = 65%), rated their affective state immediately before and after two to four MAP sessions and a similar number of regular unit activity sessions used as comparison. This created a 2 × 2 (Time × Condition) single-group within-individual design. We analyzed pre-post session changes in affect using multilevel mixed models and found participation in MAP sessions to be associated with systematic reductions in self-reported general negative affect and state anxiety. These variations were of modest-to-large magnitude and significantly greater than those associated to participation in regular unit activities. While only a first step towards the validation of the MAP as an effective intervention to foster more adaptive and effective day-to-day mood regulation in youths with mental health problems, this study supports its specific potential to alleviate negative affects and provides a rare demonstration of the putative benefits of music therapy in a pediatric mental health inpatient context.

[Art-based rehabilitation program training: a transfer of knowledge]. / Formation pour une intervention de réadaptation par les arts : un transfert de connaissances.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the implementation, processes and perceived efficacy of a pilot project of knowledge transfer in public health, which involves the training/supervision of new practitioners in an art-based rehabilitation program. This innovative evidence-based intervention seeks to promote the well-being of youth with mental disorders through circus and theater workshops. The purpose of this study is to provide a formative evaluation of this pilot project in order to improve the intervention and the knowledge transfer practices in public health. METHODS: This research is based on a participatory and mixed approach, with a ?triangulation-convergence? design, integrating a thematic analysis of qualitative data (semi-structured interviews and Focus Groups), a descriptive analysis of quantitative data (questionnaire of reaction) and a documentary compliance analysis (grid of activity monitoring). RESULTS: The results show that the knowledge transfer strategy has resulted in the training of practitioners who feel ready to take charge of the project, despite implementation gaps. The main barrier was the prolonged and unforeseen absence of project leaders, for reasons out of their control. Nevertheless, the motivation and commitment of the team members acted as a catalyst in this pilot project, which became a setting for discussion and experimentation of the knowledge transfer strategy. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the benefits of adopting a participatory approach and mixed method in the evaluation of knowledge transfer in public health, which would better capture the inherent complexity of social interventions.

Phenotypic continuum between autism and schizophrenia: Evidence from the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC).

Schizophrenic (SCZ) and autism (ASD) spectrum disorders share several features including social cognition impairments. In SCZ, the link between symptomatic dimensions and social cognition deficits remains unclear. The Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) test, available in several languages including English, investigates mental state attribution capabilities in complex interpersonal situations. After its translation into French, we used MASC to direct compare social cognition in 36 young participants with SCZ to 19 with ASD and 20 healthy controls (HC) matched for gender, age (18-25y.o.) and level of education. The MASC discriminated each group from the others, patients with SCZ exhibiting difficulties compared to ASD (MASC total score 28.1 (4) and 24.2 (6.6), respectively; p<.001). In the whole sample, MASC scores were inversely correlated with autistic traits, evaluated by autism quotient, and with disorganization symptoms. Finally, in SCZ, over-mentalizing difficulties were correlated with age at disease onset. Our results demonstrate the validity of the French version of the MASC and bring direct evidence supporting the hypothesis of a phenotypic continuum between autism and schizophrenia.

Cirque du Monde as a health intervention: perceptions of medical students and social circus experts.

OBJECTIVE: To present Cirque du Soleil's social circus program, Cirque du Monde, to explore its potential as a primary health care tool for family physicians. DATA SOURCES: A review of the literature in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, LaPresse, Eureka, Google Scholar, and Érudit using the key words circus, social circus, Cirque du Monde, and Cirque du Soleil; a Montreal-based initiative, Espace Transition, modeled on Cirque du Monde; and personal communication with Cirque du Soleil's Social Circus Training Advisor. STUDY SELECTION: The first 50 articles or websites identified for each key word in each of the databases were examined on the basis of their titles and abstracts in the case of articles, and on the basis of their titles and page content in the case of websites. Articles and websites that explored an aspect of social circuses or that described an intervention that involved circuses were then retained for analysis. Because all literature on social circuses was searched, no criterion for year of publication was used. SYNTHESIS: No articles on the social circus as a health intervention were found. One study on the use of the circus as an intervention in schools was identified. It demonstrated an increase in self-esteem in the children who took part. One study on the use of the circus in a First Nations community was found; it contained nonspecific, qualitative findings. The other articles identified were merely descriptions of social circuses. One website was identified on the use of the social circus to help youth who had been treated in a hospital setting for major psychiatric disorders to re-enter the community. The team in the pediatric psychiatry department at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, the children's hospital in Montreal, Que, was contacted; they were leading this project, called Espace Transition. The unpublished preliminary findings of its pilot project demonstrate substantial improvements in overall patient functioning. According to Cirque du Soleil, there are several projects under way around the world researching the therapeutic value of social circuses. CONCLUSION: Cirque du Monde is able to reach a marginalized population that is otherwise difficult for the health system to reach. This program has therapeutic potential because of its target population, its promotion of healthy habits, and the support that it offers through the group and its workers. Cirque du Soleil is investing heavily in this project. The lack of literature yielding robust data on the social circus is therefore an important issue.

[SURPS French version validation in a Quebec adolescent population]. / Validation de la traduction française de la SURPS pour une population d'adolescents québécois.

OBJECTIVE: The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) has been developed to screen personality risk factors for substance abuse. This scale assesses 4 high-risk personality traits using a 23-item, self-report questionnaire. SURPS helps guiding targeted approaches to prevention of substance abuse and misuse. It has been validated in the United Kingdom, English Canada, Sri Lanka, and China. This study aims to validate this scale in a sample of French-speaking adolescents from Quebec as well as its sensitivity in a clinical sample of adolescents. METHOD: Two hundred two 15-year-old youths from a community sample completed a French version of SURPS as well as other measures of personality and substance use. This study reports the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the scale, as well as a factor analysis of items. Further, 40 youths (mean age 15.7 years) from a clinical population completed SURPS and their scores were compared with those of the community sample. RESULTS: SURPS French translation has good internal consistency and demonstrated a 4-factor structure very similar to the original scale. The 4 subscales show good concurrent validity, and 3 of the subscales were found to correlate with measures of substance use. Finally, 95% of the clinical sample was identified at high risk for substance misuse according to SURPS cut-off scores. CONCLUSION: SURPS French translation seems to be a valid and sensitive scale that can be used in a French-speaking adolescent population from Quebec.

Objective: The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) has been developed to screen personality risk factors for substance misuse. This scale assesses 4 high-risk personality traits using a 23-item, self-report questionnaire. SURPS helps guiding targeted approaches to prevention of substance abuse and misuse. It has been validated in the United Kingdom, English Canada, Sri Lanka, and China. This study aims to validate this scale in a sample of French-speaking adolescents from Quebec as well as its sensitivity in a clinical sample of adolescents. Method: Two hundred two 15-year-old youths from a community sample completed a French version of SURPS as well as other measures of personality and substance use. This study reports the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the scale, as well as a factor analysis of items. Further, 40 youths (mean age 15.7 years) from a clinical population completed SURPS and their scores were compared with those of the community sample. Results: SURPS French translation has good internal consistency and demonstrated a 4-factor structure very similar to the original scale. The 4 subscales show good concurrent validity, and 3 of the subscales were found to correlate with measures of substance use. Finally, 95% of the clinical sample was identified at high risk for substance misuse according to SURPS cut-off scores. Conclusion: SURPS French translation seems to be a valid and sensitive scale that can be used in a French-speaking adolescent population from Quebec.