MUTH-SROI
Social Return on Investment Analysis of Outpatient Music Therapy Services
for Young People (16–25 Years) with Mental Illness
in Austria
Contents of the study:
This study conducts a social return on investment analysis (SROI analysis) of music therapy in private practice in Austria, focusing on adolescents and young adults with mental illness.
The MUTH-SROI study specifically examines how music therapy has affected adolescents and young adults (aged 16 to 25) with a mental illness or suspected diagnosis, and what additional effects have been observed in the treating music therapists themselves and in relevant persons from the young adults' environment (so-called “stakeholders”). This is investigated using various questionnaires and subsequent evaluation and calculation.
The SROI analysis itself is an extended cost-benefit analysis. The aim is to analyze the effects and costs of a specific activity (in this case: music therapy in private practice for young adults with mental illness) in a specific context (in this case: in Austria). The aim is to capture the broad effects that music therapy has on various areas of society (so-called “stakeholders”). Effects that do not only affect the “patients” themselves.
Other stakeholders, such as relatives (e.g., parents, siblings), healthcare professionals, healthcare institutions, and even the treating music therapists, are included in the analysis. The aim is to present, on an holistic and systemic level, how an activity (in this case, music therapy in private practice) works in a specific context and how this can also be reflected in financial terms for the society.
The aim of MUTH-SROI is to show which and how many impacts (on a financial and descriptive level) flow back into society when music therapy is offered in private practice for adolescents and young adults with mental illnesses or suspected diagnoses. The study aims to contribute to the future financing of music therapy in private practice by health insurance companies in Austria.
Current status of the study: Fragebogen-Erhebung unter den Stakeholdern in Durchführung
Study leader and responsibility: Mag.a Hannah Riedl
Frame of the study: Part of the music therapy dissertation by Mag.a Hannah Riedl
The dissertation is being written at Aalborg University, Denmark (see also: Aalborg University Research Portal) in cooperation with the research activities at the WZMF - Vienna Centre for Music Therapy Research.
Title of the dissertation: “What is the Value of Music Therapy?” Music Therapy and Health Economics: Scoping review, SROI analysis and application guide
Supervisors of the dissertation: Dr. Ulla Holck (Aalborg University, Dänemark) und Dr. Christian Grünhaus (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien)
Ethical aspects: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Vienna University of Economics and Business and the Ethics Committee of Aalborg University.
Contact: riedl@mdw.ac.at
Publications as part of the dissertation:
Riedl, H., Else, B. A., Grünhaus, C., & Holck, U. (2025). Economic evaluations of music therapy and other music-based interventions: A scoping review. Journal of Music Therapy, 62(1), thae023. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thae023
Presentations as part of the dissertation:
European Music Therapy Conference, 24. Juli 2025, Hamburg:
Title: Is it only about money and costs? Discussing types of health economic evaluations in their scope, challenges and benefits for music therapy
Panel members: Hannah Riedl, Christian Grünhaus, Daniel Thomas & Thomas Stegemann
Abstract: The economics of therapy remains an underrepresented topic in music therapy research and practice. It encompasses a variety of subtopics ranging from ethical considerations to issues of entrepreneurship (Thomas & Abad, 2017). In particular, economic evaluations of health care interventions are crucial for decision making in health care. However, in music therapy, there is limited research on the ‘cost-effectiveness’ of our services (Riedl et al., 2025). Health economics as a research discipline provides methodology and knowledge about different types of economic evaluations, which differ in scope and perspective. In addition to traditional methods, such as cost-effectiveness, cost-utility or cost-benefit analysis, among others, the Social Return of Investment (SROI) analysis is introduced. SROI is a relatively new approach to assessing the value of human activity, which is mainly applied in third sector organisations. Non-profit organisations and social enterprises need to know and demonstrate the impact of their own services, as financial success is only a secondary condition for overall success. In this context, SROI has recently been applied to health interventions. More generally, SROI provides a framework to broaden the scope towards a holistic societal and stakeholder perspective, and to capture and monetise the impact, that a particular activity has in society. We invite researchers and interested practitioners to participate in this interdisciplinary discussion bridges format. We will present different types of economic evaluations, and discuss their challenges and benefits for music therapy. Ethical issues and theoretical constructs surrounding economics in health care in general will be embedded in the session.
Nordic Music Therapy Conference, 28. Juni 2024, Aalborg:
Title: “Let´s face the money!”: Scoping review of economic evaluations of music therapy and other music-based interventions
Speaker: Hannah Riedl
Abstract:
Background: We cannot provide music therapy if we cannot fund it! Deciding which interventions to fund in health care is not only based on an assessment of their effectiveness but on their cost-effectiveness. In music therapy, Economic Evaluations (EE) are scarce. Hence, we conducted a scoping review on EEs in music therapy and other music-based interventions to provide an overview of the state of the art and highlight the research gaps.
Method: Six databases were systematically searched and hits screened following the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. We included EE studies and study protocols planning to incorporate an EE of music therapy or other music-based interventions. No restrictions to context, populations or study design were made.
Results: To prepare a scoping review, different types of EE and four types of music-based interventions in health care were defined. From the included studies, we extracted study characteristics such as fields of application, interventions provided, type of economic evaluation, outcome measurements and what costs were included. The evaluated costs and outcomes described in the studies are highly heterogenous. As a result, the research gaps on EE in music therapy and other music-based interventions are broad.
Discussion: Recently, EEs have more frequently been included in music therapy research protocols. However, interdisciplinary (research) collaboration with health economists is required to gain further methodological and theoretical knowledge of how to include EEs in music therapy research. Our work contributes to this development.