Evaluating the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire and semantic differential profile scale for adults with major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation

TL;DR

This study explores how music affects self-perception in adults with depression and suicidal thoughts, finding that a specific scale can detect changes after listening to music.

Contribution

The study introduces the use of a semantic differential profile scale as a potential behavioral indicator for suicidality in depression.

Findings

The BMRQ did not show significant differences in music reward responses across groups.

The semantic differential profile scale detected significant changes in self-perception after music listening.

Healthy controls consistently scored higher on the semantic scale than patient groups.

Abstract

Reward processing abnormalities in individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) alter motivation and hedonic responses, with greater impairments in those at risk of suicide. Preferred music is typically perceived as a rewarding and pleasurable experience that can influence motivation and emotion. Given its influential nature, evaluating how individuals with MDD and suicidal thoughts and behaviours respond to music could serve as a novel behavioural marker to indicate suicidality. This study aimed to evaluate reward response to music measured through the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ) and a semantic differential profile scale to investigate music reward and self-perception. Data were collected through the CAN-BIND 5 initiative at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. Adults aged 18–68 years participated in this cross-sectional observational study. Participants included individuals with MDD with suicidal ideation and no attempt (SI/NA; n = 19), MDD with suicidal ideation and lifetime attempt (SI/LA; n = 14), MDD with no suicidal ideation and lifetime attempt (NSI/LA; n = 13), and healthy controls (HC; n = 28). Participants completed the BMRQ online within 48-hours of their baseline visit. During the in-person visit, they completed a 29-item semantic differential profile scale before and after listening to a preferred piece of music. BMRQ results showed no significant differences across groups for each factor and for overall scores. A two-way ANOVA with the semantic differential profile scale revealed a significant interaction effect between participant group and time points, F(3, 224) = 4.32, p = .006, η2 = 0.05. Post-hoc analysis using Tukey’s HSD test revealed the HC consistently had significantly higher semantic profile scores than all patient groups, both before and after listening to music (all p < .001). Additionally, all patient groups exhibited a significant change in semantic differential profile scores from before to after music listening (all p < .001). These findings highlight that music engagement was experienced similarly across groups and that the BMRQ was not sensitive enough to detect differences. However, the semantic differential profile scale was sensitive enough to capture shifts in self-perception from before to after listening to music, indicating its potential as a behavioural indicator for suicidality.

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