German Clinical Trials Register

Acronym/abbreviation of the study

ESMT

URL of the study

No Entry

Brief summary in lay language

People who suffer from depression often describe low self-esteem and little compassion for themselves. Self-devaluing thoughts are often in the foreground. They report little access to their needs and sometimes feel younger than they are now. The causes of depression can lie in one's own biography and determine one's current life. In many treatment approaches, the focus is on reducing the distressing symptoms in order to be able to better cope with everyday life. The care of injuries and needs from earlier phases of life often plays a smaller role. Younger states are described as inner parts. Each and every person has this in different forms. Working with your own inner parts helps you to understand yourself better and to take care of your earlier needs. This can develop self-compassion and promote self-calming. The connection with music makes it easier to access your own inner parts. The instruments make it possible to look at yourself from a distance, but also to experience these inner parts. More connection and contact with yourself can arise. This promotes self-efficacy and self-esteem. The study includes three stages: concept development, testing phase and feasibility study. A mixed-methods design is applied.

Brief summary in scientific language

The aim of the PhD project is the integration of ego-state therapy into music therapy as well as whether and which approaches of this conceptualization in the clinical-inpatient setting of a psychotherapy ward can be integrated into the multimodal treatment approach. Despite some publications, there is still a lack of a well-founded conceptualization to link the two methods. In addition, indications of possible synergies have so far only been found in trauma-focused approaches. Psychodynamic approaches see causes of depressive disorders at the attachment level. The work with inner younger parts in connection with music therapy could be a helpful addition, especially from the point of view of self-calming and self-autonomy and thus have a self-esteem-strengthening effect. The three-phase set-up is divided into concept development, testing phase and feasibility study with a mixed-methods design in a music therapy setting. The doctorate is located at the University of Music and Theatre Hamburg in the Department of Music Therapy and is carried out at the LVR University Hospital Essen.