Patients with brain injuries, dementia, and mental health disorders in Scotland are missing out on the potential benefits of music therapy despite training "world-class" experts, a leading medical practitioner has said. 

Gillian Cunnison, a music therapist and brain injury specialist who qualified in Scotland but now practises in the United States, urged the Scottish Government to capitalise on the skills of the country's music therapists and deploy them in the NHS to help patients with brain injuries, dementia, and neurodivergence such as autism. 

Ms Cunnison, who also studied at Glasgow University, said: "The benefits of music therapy are clinically proven through scientific research, however, the field is still largely unknown within the general population in Scotland and underutilised as a form of therapy."

Studies have shown that rhythm-based music therapy can improve walking and quality of life in people after stroke; reduce depressive symptoms and behavioural problems in adults with dementia; and, added to standard therapy, can improve mental state and social functioning in patients with psychoses such as schizophrenia. 

It has also been found to substantially reduce anxiety in cancer patients undergoing treatment, and to reduce cravings in people undergoing rehabilitation treatment for dependence on alcohol or drugs. 

In children and young people with autism, it is also linked to improvements in quality of life and symptom severity. 

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Ms Cunnison, who is touring Scotland in January to promote her new book 'The Power of Music Therapy', said Scotland "could lead the way" in using music therapy in healthcare settings due to the number of music therapists training in Scotland.

Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh - where she qualified - offers a two-year Masters degree in music therapy which is the only course of its kind in Scotland.

Established in 2005, a total of 185 people have since graduated from the Masters programme, but workforce statistics indicate that there are just 44 therapists - across music, arts, and drama combined - employed in NHS Scotland.

Music therapy uses the clinical and evidence-based use of music as an established health intervention to help people whose lives are affected by injury, illness or disability, but Ms Cunnison said its potential as a tool in the NHS is being overlooked. 

The Herald: Gillian Cunnison (left) said goals from music therapy treatment can include stress management, pain relief, and physical rehabilitationGillian Cunnison (left) said goals from music therapy treatment can include stress management, pain relief, and physical rehabilitation (Image: Gillian Cunnison)

After studying in Scotland, she relocated to the US where she has worked for over 10 years in a variety of settings including children's hospitals, acute rehabilitation hospitals, schools, memory care facilities, outpatient clinics and private practices.

She is the founder and owner of North Carolina-based Telemed Music, which provides virtual and in-person music therapy sessions.

Ms Cunnison said she hopes her new book will help to raise awareness about the benefits of music therapy.

She is due to visit Birnam Arts centre on January 13, Carronside Hall in Stonehaven on January 14, and the Unorthodox Coffee in Kinross on January 16. 

She said: "Music therapy is an allied health profession which can help individuals of all ages, many diagnoses and from all walks of life.

"Board Certified Music Therapists are trained to integrate music, songwriting, drumming, singing, instrument improvisation and verbal counseling skills while working on non-musical skills including but not limited to: communication, language, motor control and endurance, socialization, emotional expression, mood, memory, confidence, relaxation, and focus.

"I have written my book 'The Power of Music Therapy' to help spread the word about the field to those who don’t know about it, combining research and personal reflections with real-life stories to provide a small snapshot into the profession.

"The book tells the stories of very special individuals helped through music therapy.

"It aims to explain the reasons why music therapy is so beneficial from birth to the end of life, including for those with brain injuries, dementia, neurodiversity or mental health disorders, to name a few.

"Scotland is already training world-class music therapists and my hope is that the Scottish Government and Scottish health boards and healthcare settings seriously consider the benefits of music therapy."

The 'Power of Music Therapy' is available on Amazon.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Scottish Government recognises the benefits that music therapy can have.

"We also recognise that improving access to Allied Health Professions’ (AHP) services is a long-standing priority for improving outcomes for people in Scotland.

“In February 2023 we published a review into Allied Health Professions education and workforce.

"The Review aimed to ensure that our education provision is aligned with the required workforce needs.”