ABSTRACT
In older age, context factors common for depression in adulthood persist, while circumstances typical for later life periods (physical frailty, burden through family caregiving, loss of family members, co-occurring dementia) may aggravate a patient’s situation. Using joint singing, playing music, and listening to music in one-to-one or group settings, music therapy can provide unique experiences for older adults with depression, enabling them to reduce isolation, improve mood, increase self-esteem, and reflect on current problems and central themes of their lives. A clinical working model of music therapy illustrates complex challenges and possibilities in the treatment of depression in older age.
