ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry

Sec. Anxiety and Stress Disorders

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1581291

This article is part of the Research TopicInnovations in the assessment and treatment of TBI and co-occurring conditions in military connected populationsView all 8 articles

Sounds of Service: A programmatic evaluation of a music therapist-led, community-based music program for Veterans in supported housing

Provisionally accepted
  • Center for Music Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Introduction: Complexities such as TBI and co-occurring conditions such as homelessness impact Veterans' awareness and use of health care services offered in the VHA and the community. Thus, targeted interventions that engage and reduce barriers to care among Veterans with interconnected challenges are needed. Research has suggested that music therapy interventions are well received by both active-duty Service Members and Veterans, but little is available on music therapy-based programming to address the complex needs of Veterans with interconnected challenges. Methods: The purpose of this project was to conduct a programmatic evaluation of a music therapist-led, community-based music program offered in a supportive housing complex to foster mental, emotional, and social health and wellbeing in Veterans encountering long-term and repeated homelessness, TBI, and other co-occurring conditions. We reviewed music therapist notes, attendance logs, participant demographic data, and unsolicited feedback from a 45-session music program grounded in a whole health and trauma-informed perspective to (a) identify the music interventions used and (b) explore how Veterans perceived the program.Demographic and attendance data were analyzed descriptively, and therapist notes and unsolicited feedback were examined thematically. Results: Results showed Veterans preferred rock, country, blues, and folk music, and singing and instrument play were the most common music strategies implemented in the program.Session topics most often included music, recreation/leisure, and emotions. The most common therapist objectives included self-expression, building rapport, and group cohesion. Both therapist notes and Veteran comments suggested that the program was appreciated, and it created a space where challenges could be addressed. Conclusion: This is one of the first music therapy programs presented in the literature to focus on Veterans experiencing homelessness and living in supportive housing. Results suggest that music therapy programming may be an innovative, well received option to engage Veterans with interconnected challenges. Results further suggest that sessions offered directly in supportive housing units and collaborating with Veterans on music planning may build trust and connection and empower them to take charge of their own health and wellbeing. Thus, music therapy-based programming may be uniquely positioned to address the needs of this marginalized population.

Keywords: Music Therapy, Veterans, Homelessness, Community, military

Received: 21 Feb 2025; Accepted: 02 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Gooding, Hernandez and Langston. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Lori F Gooding, Center for Music Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, United States

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