OBJECTIVES: In Hungary, music therapy is not yet integrated into clinical practice. The primary goal of music therapy for aphasia is to improve impaired speech and language functions. However, the secondary effects experienced during rehabilitation are at least as important as the primary effects in terms of recovery. Our research investigated the positive secondary effects of active singing for language and speech development and the extent to which subjects perceive the therapy as difficult and linguistically beneficial.

METHODS: Inclusion criteria: over 18 years; diagnosis: acquired language disorder, aphasia. Exclusion criteria: primary progressive aphasia. 28 people met the criteria, with different types and severity of aphasia, Participants were enrolled in individual vocal language therapy between September 2021 and January 2023, when data collection took place. They all also received traditional speech therapy. Locations. A self-administered questionnaire was used at the end of the intervention. Measurement: subjective self-assessment of the impact of the singing therapy on general mood, motivation, and participants' ratings of the difficulty and usefulness of the therapeutic tasks. Duration of therapy: 3 weeks - 2 months. Rating: on a linear scale from 1 to 5. '1' is the weakest rating, '5' the strongest.

RESULTS: 22 out of 28 respondents. 21 (95.5%) scored the sessions highly (4 or 5), 1 person scored the sessions 3 points for the mood-boosting effect. 10 (45.5%) found the sessions difficult. 20 (90.9%) considered the sessions to be strongly motivating. Perception of usefulness: useful: 18 (81.8%), unable to judge: 4 (18%).

CONCLUSIONS: Emotional-psychological symptoms observed before the therapy - anxiety, fear, social isolation, isolation, sadness, hopelessness - were already alleviated early in the therapy. The intervention provides practical confirmation of the positive indirect effects of language and speech therapy based on active singing.