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. 2022 May 9;2022(5):CD012576. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012576.pub3

Silverman 2017.

Study characteristics
Methods Study design: cluster RCT
Study grouping: parallel group
Allocation concealment: no information on allocation concealment
Randomisation method: throughout 24 MT treatment sessions, the researcher cluster‐randomised consumers into conditions by session. A computer program was used for randomisation. The numbers 1–24 were randomised into 3 groups and each group was assigned to MT (songwriting), recreational music, or wait‐list control.
Participants Baseline characteristics
MT + SC
  • Gender male: 19 (61.3%)

  • Age: 40.81 (13.51) years

  • Sample size: 31


Recreational music + SC
  • Gender male: 31 (59.6%)

  • Age: 38.17 (12.80) years

  • Sample size: 52


SC (wait‐list control)
  • Gender male: 30 (58.8%)

  • Age: 34.67 (12.08) years

  • Sample size: 51


Overall
  • Gender male: 80 (59.7%)

  • Age: 37.88 (12.79) years

  • Sample size: 134


Inclusion criteria: inpatient status on detoxification unit; ability to read English
Exclusion criteria: none stated
Pretreatment: significant between‐group differences in number of patients taking part in each session who volunteered to be research participants and the total number of participants in each session (with MT having lower means than the recreational music and wait‐list control conditions). No statistically significant between‐group differences in participants' ages; number of times participants had been in a rehabilitation/detoxification facility; or demographic variables of gender, race/ethnicity, or primary drug.
Interventions Intervention characteristics
MT + SC
  • Description: MT using educational songwriting with lyrics about recovery, including motivators and strategies to promote change and sobriety. Implemented by a music therapist.

  • Session length: approximately 45 minutes

  • Frequency: single session

  • Duration of treatment: single session


Recreational music + SC
  • Description: rock and roll bingo game with discussion based on songs, artists, and memories associated with the music. Implemented by a music therapist.

  • Session length: approximately 45 minutes

  • Frequency: single session

  • Duration of treatment: single session


SC (wait‐list control)
  • Description: this condition was identical to the recreational MT condition, with the exception that participants completed the questionnaire before the intervention instead of after it.

  • Session length: not applicable

  • Frequency: not applicable

  • Duration of treatment: not applicable

Outcomes Substance cravingAlcohol Craving QuestionnaireShort FormRevised (ACQ‐SF‐R)
  • Outcome type: continuous outcome

  • Reporting: partially reported

  • Direction: lower is better

  • Data value: endpoint

  • Notes: 12 items using 7‐point Likert scale responses

Identification Sponsorship source: none
Country: USA
Setting: inpatient detoxification unit
Author's name: Michael J Silverman
Institution: University of Minnesota
Email: silvermj@umn.edu
Address: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Declarations of interest: no conflicts of interest reported.
Notes  
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Judgement comment: use of computerised random‐number generator.
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Judgement comment: insufficient information about allocation concealment to permit judgement.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes Low risk Judgement comment: missing outcome data balanced in numbers across intervention groups, with similar reasons for missing data across groups.
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Judgement comment: no selective outcome reporting.
Blinding of participants and providers (performance bias) (subjective outcomes) Low risk Judgement comment: not possible to blind participants and providers to MT intervention.
Blinding of outcome assessor (detection bias) (subjective outcomes) Unclear risk Judgement comment: not possible to blind outcome assessor for self‐report outcomes, though measurement not likely to be influenced differentially between groups.