A Cluster-Randomized Comparison of Songwriting and Recreational Music Therapy on State Hope and Abstinence Self-Efficacy in Adults with Alcohol Use Disorder on a Detoxification Unit.

BACKGROUND

Recovery constitutes the goal for people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). State hope and abstinence self-efficacy represent consequential constructs for people with AUD as they work toward recovery.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this two-group cluster-randomized single-session effectiveness study was to compare the effects of group motivational-educational songwriting (MESW) and group recreational music therapy (RMT) by measuring between- and within-group differences in measures of state hope and abstinence self-efficacy in adults with AUD on a detoxification unit.

METHOD: Participants (N = 86) were cluster-randomized to a single-session of group MESW or group RMT. Participants completed psychometric inventories measuring state hope (consisting of agency and pathways subscales as well as total state hope) and abstinence self-efficacy (consisting of temptation and confidence subscales) at pre- and posttest.

RESULTS

Analyses indicated statistically significant within-group changes in agency, pathways, total state hope, temptation, and confidence. In all measures, there were favorable changes from pre- to posttest. There were statistically significant between-group differences in pathways and total state hope, with the MESW condition outperforming the RMT condition.

CONCLUSION

A single group MESW or group RMT session can positively influence state hope and abstinence self-efficacy in adults with AUD on a detoxification unit. As the MESW condition explicitly addressed recovery, has other empirical support in the literature, and significantly outperformed the RMT condition in measures of pathways and total state hope, MESW may be an ideal intervention for adults in detoxification settings. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.