Recruiting

Bonny Method

Sponsor:

Aalborg University

Code:

NCT03917979

Conditions

Depression

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Individual GIM

Waitlist Control

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this research is to study the effectiveness of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) as a treatment approach for depression. Specifically, this study will examine the treatment outcomes of a series of individual GIM sessions for persons with mild or moderate depression. It is guided by the following three research questions: In individuals with depression, does a series of GIM sessions 1) reduce severity of depression, 2) reduce severity of anxiety, and 3) improve mental well-being in comparison to a control group? The hypothesis is that a series of individual GIM sessions will be associated with improvement in depression, anxiety, and mental well-being that is greater than the waitlist control group.

GIM is a music-centered integrative therapy approach. In it, therapist-selected programs of music from the Western classical tradition are used to evoke and develop a client's spontaneously generated imagery in a highly focused non-ordinary state of consciousness. In dialogue with the therapist, the client explores this imagery in a metaphoric, transformative process.

After providing informed consent and verifying that they meet all eligibility requirements, 30 participants are randomly assigned to either a treatment condition or waitlist control condition. Participants in the treatment group are provided with a series of 10 individual GIM sessions occurring once every two weeks. Individuals in the waitlist condition are provided with a series of four Group GIM sessions after the initial waitlist period. All participants complete data collection packets at pre-test, midpoint, posttest, 6-week follow-up, and 12-week follow-up.

The individual and group GIM sessions are conducted by board-certified music therapists (MT-BC) who have completed training in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music and have the credential Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery (FAMI). The researchers will implement a Quality Assurance protocol to monitor fidelity to treatment.

GIM is a therapeutic approach accessible on a limited basis worldwide, and trained practitioners are granted credentials by the Association for Music and Imagery (AMI) and Music and Imagery Association of Australia (MIAA). Databases of practitioners are available through these organizations.

Conditions

Depression

Study ID

NCT03917979

Start date

Mar 20, 2019

Status verified date

Aug, 2019

Completion date

Aug 20, 2020

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 20, 2020

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults age 18 or over
  • Meet severity threshold for mild to moderate depression as measured by the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-SR; score of 14-38) at the time of enrollment
  • English-speaking
  • Able to read and write at a fifth grade level or higher

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of psychosis
  • Diagnosis related to depression other than unipolar depression, including but not limited to bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder
  • Meeting threshold for severe depression as measured by the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-SR; score greater than 38) at the time of enrollment

Study Design

Enrollment

30 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Individual GIM

Participants are provided with a series of individual GIM sessions.

other: Waitlist Control

Participants complete an initial wait list period, then are provided with a series of Group GIM sessions.

Interventions

Individual GIM

Participants are provided with a series of 10 individual GIM sessions, scheduled once every two weeks. Frequency may change if clinically indicated. Individual GIM sessions begin with a discussion of important issues related to the client's life and symptoms, forming a focus for the session. Then, the therapist provides suggestions to help the client become highly relaxed and focused in preparation for the music-listening portion of the session. The therapist plays specially-selected music from the Western classical tradition to match the client and the focus for the session, and engages in verbal dialogue with the client to help them explore their own internal imagery while listening to the music. After the music ends, the therapist and client engage in discussion about their imagery in metaphoric connection to their therapeutic process. This may include arts-based approaches to process the session. Sessions last approximately 90-120 minutes.

Waitlist Control

Participants complete an initial wait list period of 26 weeks, equivalent to the treatment and 6-week follow-up period for the experimental arm. They are then provided with four Group GIM sessions scheduled once per week. Group GIM sessions start with a group discussion about events or feelings from the week and issues related to depression and wellbeing. Then the therapist provides suggests to help the clients relax and focus in preparation for the music-listening period. Group members will explore a theme or issue related to therapy while focusing on whatever comes to them as the music is played. After the music, there will be a time to work with the imagery experienced during the music. This may be in the form of discussion or other art forms. The session ends with a discussion about gains and insights from the music and imagery. Sessions last 90-120 minutes.

Primary outcome measure

  • Mean change from baseline in Depression score as measured by the IDS-SR [ Time Frame: Pretest at the time of enrollment, midpoint (week 10), posttest (week 20), 6-week follow-up (week 26), 12-week follow-up (week 32) ]
  • Mean change from baseline in Depression score as measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS) [ Time Frame: Pretest at the time of enrollment, midpoint (week 10), posttest (week 20), 6-week follow-up (week 26), 12-week follow-up (week 32) ]
  • Mean change from baseline in Anxiety score as measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS) [ Time Frame: Pretest at the time of enrollment, midpoint (week 10), posttest (week 20), 6-week follow-up (week 26), 12-week follow-up (week 32) ]
  • Mean change from baseline in mental well-being score as measured by the WEMWBS [ Time Frame: Pretest at the time of enrollment, midpoint (week 10), posttest (week 20), 6-week follow-up (week 26), 12-week follow-up (week 32) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Timothy J Honig, MMT

630-779-4298timhonig@hum.aau.dk

Niels Hannibal, PhD

+45 9940 9109hannibal@hum.aau.dk

Locations

Guided Imagery and Music Research

Recruiting

Westfield, Massachusetts, United States, 01085

Contacts

Timothy J Honig, MMT

302-285-9989honigtj@appstate.edu

Guided Imagery and Music Research

Recruiting

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, 55110

Contacts

Tim Honig, MMT

302-285-9989honigtj@appstate.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Aalborg University

Last update posted

Aug 22, 2019

Last verified

Aug, 2019

Keywords

  • Music Therapy
  • Guided Imagery
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Aalborg University on 2019-08-22.