Globally, 1 in 8 people are living with a mental health disorder (World Health Organisation, 2021). Accordingly, one of the four main objectives of the WHOs action plan 2013-2030 recognized the importance of provision of a comprehensive, responsive, and integrated social and mental health services to all health settings towards achieving health for all people (WHO, 2021). According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 1 in 5 Australians have experienced a mental health or behavioural condition in their lifetime (AIHW, 2022, ABS, 2018). Mental health and substance use disorders cumulatively account for 13% overall burden of disease in Australia (ABS, 2018) To this end, the development of services for mental health consumers is becoming more and more informed by the principle of collaborative recovery and multi-disciplinary treatment approach, with the consumer, the primary focus (McCaffrey & Edwards, 2016).The term mental health disorder encompasses a range of health disorders such as psychotic disorders, substance use disorders, anxiety and affective disorders which are clinically diagnosable and can alter a persons emotional, social, or cognitive abilities (AIHW, 2022). Music therapy and other music-based strategies are used in many ways towards improving health outcomes for mental health patients. These may be in the form of group singing or solo performances, instrumentals, dancing, and musical games, writing and music creation (American Music Therapy Association, 2018). Music therapy is the use of music-based interventions by an accredited professional to target specific and individualized clinical objectives within a therapeutic relationship (American Music Therapy Association, 2018). A plethora of consumer services utilize music therapy and music-based interventions in supporting behaviour modification and addressing mental health concerns or challenging behaviours in medical and psychiatric settings. Some studies have highlighted the role of music therapy in inpatient mental health units. It is useful in increasing social interaction engagement, restoring a sense of cohesiveness, belonging and reduction of stigma associated with mental health treatment (Strong et al., 2016). It is worthy to note that thesestrategies may be designed as complementary interventions to support the usual traditional medical treatments, as well as can be used as independent interventions for a mental health problem (Rodwin et al., 2023). RESEARCH AIM It is necessary to ascertain clinical evidence in support of use of music therapy as a behaviour support strategy in mental health practice.This current literature review is aimed at examining the effectiveness of music therapy towards managing challenging behaviours in patients with mental health disorders vis a vis standard treatment. METHODS This literature review comprised of a seven-year period from 2016 to 2023 and was conducted in August of 2023. The search was done using reputable nursing and midwifery database,Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL).