Handbook of Mentalizing in Mental Health Practice

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While reading this book I also read reviews of Gielgud’s Letters ([Mangan, 2004][2]) and a biography of Michael Redgrave ([Strachan, 2004][3]). These gave accounts of the lives of these two actors that left little out from a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

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Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder, Mentalization-based Treatment

Objectives. Not all patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) respond to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Literature suggests group music therapy might be beneficial in treating PTSD. However, feasibility and effectiveness have not been assessed. The study objectives were to assess whether group music therapy was feasible for patients who did not respond to CBT, and whether it has an effect on PTSD symptoms and depression.

Design. The study employed mixed methods comprising of an exploratory randomized controlled trial, qualitative content analysis of therapy, and patient interviews.

Method. Patients with significant PTSD symptoms (n= 17) following completion of CBT were randomly assigned to treatment (n= 9) or control groups (n= 8). The treatment group received 10 weeks of group music therapy after which exit interviews were conducted. Control group patients were offered the intervention at the end of the study. Symptoms were assessed on the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and Beck Depression Inventory II at the beginning and end of treatment.

Results. Treatment-group patients experienced a significant reduction in severity of PTSD symptoms (−20.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [−31.23, −9.12]) and a marginally significant reduction in depression (−11.92; 95%CI: [−24.05, 0.21]) at 10 weeks from baseline compared to the control. Patients viewed music therapy as helpful and reported experiences concur with current literature.

Conclusions. Group music therapy appears feasible and effective for PTSD patients who have not sufficiently responded to CBT. Limitations include the small sample size and lack of blinding. Further research should address these limitations, test sustainability, and identify specific factors that address symptoms in treatment.

Group music therapy for patients with persistent post-traumatic stress disorder – an exploratory randomized controlled trial with mixed methods evaluation

The Interpersonal World of the Infant: A View From Psychoanalysis and Developmental Psychology—Daniel N. Stern, M.D.; Basic Books, New York, 1985, 304 pages, $22.95

The article focuses on the use of analytical music therapy in treating sexually abused children. The first part contains information about the specifics of working with sexually abused children and the therapeutic framework. The second part gives an overview of the music therapy concept and three relevant aspects of trauma: (a) the destroying of instances of good relationships; (b) the sexualization of the relationship; and (c) the restriction of the ability to mentalize. The third part shows a case study of an eight-year-old girl who showed extreme conformance, loss of vitality and suppression of feelings after being sexually abused by her mother's partner. Each scene will be interpreted with the focus on interaction patterns and connected to a function of how music is used. The fourth and final part will summarize nine functions of music which are meaningful in treating sexually abused children.

The use of music therapy in treating sexually abused children

Music therapy for patients suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been a standard treatment option for many years in in-patient psychiatric work The BPD symptoms, such as identity disturbance, emotional regulation and unstable relationships, lead to challenging and stormy therapy sessions for all therapists of all disciplines In music therapy, difficulties in treatment include, for example, the patient’s refusal to play, extreme loud music or withdrawal from the process This article presents the method and results of a systematic qualitative research of 20 BPD female patients undergoing individual psychoanalytical music therapy in an acute psychiatric context The aim of the research was to identify typical interaction patterns, arising from the relationship between patient and therapist and also from the significance of music The method “forming types by understanding” is based on the well-known sociological research method of “ideal types” Abstracted results are generated by contr

Music therapy interaction patterns in relation to borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients

Introduction: The concept of mentalization has become increasingly widespread in the psychotherapy discourse. This article investigates three important questions in relation to music therapy and me...

Gitta Strehlow

Papers

The use of music therapy in treating sexually abused children

Music therapy interaction patterns in relation to borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients

Mentalizing in improvisational music therapy