Effects of Music Therapy for Prison inmates

Effects of Music Therapy for Prison inmates: a randomised controlled parallel group study

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN22518605

Enrollment

280

Registered

2008-06-30

Start date

2008-07-30

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2023-02-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Prison inmates' emotion and behaviour Mental and Behavioural Disorders Unspecified disorder of adult personality and behaviour

Interventions

Participants in the experimental group will be approached by the music therapist to participate in music therapy groups. These will be conducted by an academically and clinically trained therapist who

frequency and duration of sessions and duration of the whole therapy will be decided by the music therapist in dialogue with the participants. Activities used in music therapy may include improvisatio

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Male

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Inmates at Bjørgvin prison, Bergen, Norway (adult males only) 2. Sufficient command of the Norwegian language 3. Informed consent to participate MT-PRIS2: 1. Inmates at Bjørgvin prison, Bergen, Norway (adult males only) 2. Sufficient command of the Norwegian language 3. Informed consent to participate 4. Inmates have a sentence of 1 month or more

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Does not comply with the above inclusion criteria.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Self-reports of anxiety, depression and mood: self-report measures will be used to measure anxiety, depression, and social relationships. The current level of anxiety state will be measured before and after selected sessions using the respective part of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (20 items). Variables that change more slowly will be measured after 1, 3, and 6 months (or at release). These include trait anxiety (STAI) (20 items), depression (the respective part of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]) (7 items), and social relationships (the respective subscale of the Q-LES-Q). 2. Physiological measures of heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR): these will be assessed every two weeks in the experimental group, and after 1, 3 and 6 months in the control group. Heart rate variability (HRV) will be used to objectively assess the level of anxiety, with high levels of HRV indicating high anxiety levels. Heart rate (HR) is an additional indicator of anxiety, although less reliable than HRV. HRV will be registered by using the Actiheart® System (Cambridge Neurotechnology Ltd), a compact lightweight device that records physical activity, HR, and variability of R-R inter-beat interval (IBI) if a relevant recording mode is selected. It calculates energy expenditure based on the activity and HR data. The Actiheart® clips onto a single electocardiogram (ECG) electrode with a short ECG lead to another electrode that picks up the ECG signal. The Actiheart® will be placed on the upper or lower chest. 3. State registry data: provided that additional funding will be available, data on arrest, conviction, and incarceration after release will be collected from official records and analysed. This material is available up to ten years. MT-PRIS2: 1. For IMT groups only: HRV, HR and STAI measured every two weeks 2. For non-IMT groups only: HRV and HR measured after 1, 3 a	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Self-reports of anxiety, depression and mood: self-report measures will be used to measure anxiety, depression, and social relationships. The current level of anxiety state will be measured before and after selected sessions using the respective part of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (20 items). Variables that change more slowly will be measured after 1, 3, and 6 months (or at release). These include trait anxiety (STAI) (20 items), depression (the respective part of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]) (7 items), and social relationships (the respective subscale of the Q-LES-Q). 2. Physiological measures of heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR): these will be assessed every two weeks in the experimental group, and after 1, 3 and 6 months in the control group. Heart rate variability (HRV) will be used to objectively assess the level of anxiety, with high levels of HRV indicating high anxiety levels. Heart rate (HR) is an additional indicator of anxiety, although less reliable than HRV. HRV will be registered by using the Actiheart® System (Cambridge Neurotechnology Ltd), a compact lightweight device that records physical activity, HR, and variability of R-R inter-beat interval (IBI) if a relevant recording mode is selected. It calculates energy expenditure based on the activity and HR data. The Actiheart® clips onto a single electocardiogram (ECG) electrode with a short ECG lead to another electrode that picks up the ECG signal. The Actiheart® will be placed on the upper or lower chest. 3. State registry data: provided that additional funding will be available, data on arrest, conviction, and incarceration after release will be collected from official records and analysed. This material is available up to ten years. MT-PRIS2: 1. For IMT groups only: HRV, HR and STAI measured every two weeks 2. For non-IMT groups only: HRV and HR measured after 1, 3 a

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
No secondary outcome measures	—

Countries

Norway

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Mar 10, 2026