Showing papers in "Nordic Journal of Music Therapy in 2015"
TL;DR: Mental health recovery, positive mental health, and agency are proposed as constituting a better framework for music therapy in mental healthcare than a primary focus on symptom remission and functional improvement.
Abstract: Previous research studies regarding music therapy and severe mental illness have mainly adopted quantitative methodologies in order to study the effectiveness of music therapy interventions. Studies that have explored service users’ experiences of participation in music therapy are small in number, and almost nonexistent in the field of psychosis. This study aimed to explore how mental health patients with a diagnosis of psychosis experienced participation in music therapy, in general, and more specifically how they experienced music therapy in relation to their current mental state and life situation. Nine inpatients with psychosis were interviewed using a semi-structured interview focusing on the participants’ experiences of music therapy in individual sessions, groups, and performances. Through the use of interpretative phenomenological analysis, four super-ordinate themes central to the participants’ experiences were found: freedom, contact, well-being, and symptom reduction. Based on the findings, mental health recovery, positive mental health, and agency are proposed as constituting a better framework for music therapy in mental healthcare than a primary focus on symptom remission and functional improvement.
66 citations
TL;DR: Three types of context awareness in music therapy are identified: music therapy in context; music therapy as context; and music Therapy as interacting contexts.
Abstract: In contemporary music therapy as well as in related interdisciplinary fields, the importance of context in relation to theory, research, and practice has been emphasized. However, the word context seems to be used in several different ways and conceptualizations of contextual approaches vary too. The objective of this theoretical article is to clarify traditions of language use in relation to context in music therapy. In reviewing and discussing the literature, we focus on the field of mental health care. When discussing issues related to context, this literature partly focuses on the surroundings of music therapy practice, partly on the ecology of reciprocal influences within and between situations or systems. On this basis, three types of context awareness in music therapy are identified: music therapy in context; music therapy as context; and music therapy as interacting contexts. The identified types of context awareness are exemplified through references to music therapy literature and then discussed in relation to two very different metaphors, namely context as frame and context as link. Implications for practice, research, and theory development in music therapy are suggested.
56 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that it is possible to design and develop an easy to apply and rigorous quantitative outcome measure which has a high level of clinical relevance for people with dementia, care home staff and music therapists.
Abstract: There is a need to develop an outcome measure specific to music therapy in dementia that reflects a holistic picture of the therapy process and outcome. This study aimed to develop a clinically relevant and scientifically robust music therapy outcome measure incorporating the values and views of people with dementia. Focus groups and interviews were conducted to obtain qualitative data on what music meant to people with dementia and the observed effects of music. Expert and peer consultations were conducted at each stage of the measure development to maximise its content validity. The new measure was field-tested by clinicians in a care home. Feedback from the clinicians and music therapy experts were incorporated during the review and refinement process of the measure. A review of the existing literature, the experiential results and the consensus process enabled the development of the new outcome measure "Music in Dementia Assessment Scales (MiDAS)". Analysis of the qualitative data identified five key areas of the impact of music on people with dementia and they were transformed as the five Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) items: levels of Interest, Response, Initiation, Involvement and Enjoyment. MiDAS comprises the five VAS items and a supplementary checklist of notable positive and negative reactions from the individual. This study demonstrates that it is possible to design and develop an easy to apply and rigorous quantitative outcome measure which has a high level of clinical relevance for people with dementia, care home staff and music therapists.
46 citations
TL;DR: The influence of music on the moods and behaviour of young people has been much contested Whilst some parties accuse the music industry of purposefully poisoning the minds of youth, others understand the relationship between teenagers and their music preferences as reciprocal.
Abstract: The influence of music on the moods and behaviour of young people has been much contested Whilst some parties accuse the music industry of purposefully poisoning the minds of youth, others understand the relationship between teenagers and their music preferences as reciprocal This article reports on an investigation examining what 111 Australian adolescents reported about changes in their mood before and after listening to self-selected genres of music Most young people reported using music to improve their mood, particularly when their initial state was already positive; however when feeling sad or stressed, some young people reported a worsening mood Correlational analysis revealed that whilst the distressed young people in this sample were more likely to prefer listening to angry music and have a preference for metal, they did not report a more negative effect on their mood than any other genre of music The researchers conclude that mixed methodologies may be better suited for examining this compl
45 citations
TL;DR: How music therapy might afford possibilities for social recovery to one man with psychosis admitted to a psychiatric intensive care unit is explored by means of a qualitative case study featuring a description of the music therapeutic process alongside first-hand accounts of the participant’s subjective experiences.
Abstract: Mental health difficulties are connected with major interpersonal and social challenges. Recent qualitative research indicates that music therapy can facilitate many of the core elements found to promote social recovery and social inclusion, findings also reflected in results from a growing body of effect studies. The objective of this study was to explore how music therapy might afford possibilities for social recovery to one man with psychosis admitted to a psychiatric intensive care unit. This was achieved by means of a qualitative case study featuring a description of the music therapeutic process alongside first-hand accounts of the participant’s subjective experiences. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The findings are presented in a narrative form reflecting processes and activities considered particularly important for the process of social recovery. Theoretical perspectives from the recovery literature and current perspectives in music therapy are discussed with a view to the possible use of music therapy for strengthening agency, (re)building identity, developing positive relationships, and expanding social networks.
39 citations
TL;DR: Analysis of semi-structured interviews with 11 mothers who participated in family-centred music therapy sessions along with their child identified three aspects of positive change to the parent–child relationship, namely: the quality of the relationship; the parents’ perception of the child and the parents' response to the child.
Abstract: Young children with autism spectrum disorder face many developmental challenges, most notably in the area of reciprocal social interactions with family and peers. Collaborating with the families of these children in therapy sessions is fast becoming best practice in many countries. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 11 mothers who participated in family-centred music therapy sessions along with their child. The interview questions focussed on changes to the nature of the parent–child relationship. Analysis of the interviews identified three aspects of positive change to the parent–child relationship, namely: the quality of the relationship; the parents’ perception of the child and the parents’ response to the child. The changes in the relationship with their child were valued and cherished by all of the mothers, and understanding the impact a family-centred approach might have on the nature of the parent–child relationship needs further exploration.
38 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report a qualitative multiple case study of clients' contributions within therapeutic collaborations in the field of adult mental health care, using semi-structured interviews with clients and therapists including an adapted procedure of interpersonal process recall.
Abstract: The importance of clients’ agency and involvement in therapy has been emphasized in music therapy as well as in the broader interdisciplinary field of mental health and psychotherapy. Although the quickly growing discourse and research base of music therapy in mental health care increasingly include user perspectives, most of the existing research and literature focus on the therapists’ interventions. This article reports a qualitative multiple case study of clients’ contributions within therapeutic collaborations in the field of adult mental health care. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with clients and therapists including an adapted procedure of interpersonal process recall (IPR). Through a thematic analysis four main categories of clients’ agency in the therapeutic process were identified taking initiatives, exerting control in sessions, commitment to the relationship and engagement across contexts. The findings documented clients’ actions as well as their intentions and reflexiv...
38 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the aspects of these adolescents' experiences of their everyday situation in child welfare and on how they use music as a resource, and analyse and discuss their empirical findings from two theoretical perspectives -a human rights perspective and a sociocultural perspective.
Abstract: How is music related to adolescent agency and possibilities for various forms of participation in everyday life? This article is based on interviews of 15 adolescents with experiences of their everyday life in the Norwegian child welfare system. The participants were between the ages of 18 and 23 years, and they have all been living in a child welfare institution. They have also been participants in a community music therapy project, with activities such as playing in a band and writing songs. In this article, we focus on the aspects of these adolescents’ experiences of their everyday situation in child welfare and on how they use music as a resource. We analyse and discuss our empirical findings from two theoretical perspectives – a human rights perspective and a sociocultural perspective. The human rights discussion is related to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), in particular with regard to the concept of participation. The sociocultural perspective highlights conditions that enable part...
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the theoretical understanding behind and clinical application of a newly developed music-therapy assessment tool, Assessment of Parenting Competencies (APC), which relates to theories of attunement, autonomy, and attachment, and clinical relevance for practice within the field of child protection.
Abstract: The focus of this article is the theoretical understanding behind, and the clinical application of, a newly developed music-therapy assessment tool, Assessment of Parenting Competencies (APC). While the psychometric properties have been analyzed successfully in prior publications, the advantages and challenges of a nonverbal and emotional interactional medium such as music in assessing parent–child interaction and parental capacity are presented and discussed. The assessment model relates to theories of attunement, autonomy, and attachment, and clinical relevance for practice within the field of child protection is addressed according to clinical application of the tool.How can the scores of APC be interpreted and how are they clinically relevant? With the combination of a playful and rigorous approach, APC can provide useful information to families, family therapists, and other social-service professions within the field of child protection, including level of mutual attunement, nonverbal communication s...
26 citations
TL;DR: This paper explored the themes of community of practice, rock culture and identity construction in Me and THE BAND'ITS, a rock band of ex-inmates who decided to take alternative revenge by developing skills and authenticity of their music instead of taking conventional revenge.
Abstract: This article explores the themes of community of practice, rock culture and identity construction in Me and THE BAND’its, a rock band of ex-inmates. Using a narrative inquiry approach, two specific scenarios provide the background for two narratives being presented in the research. The first narrative is rooted in a dramatic life-threatening knife assault in which the lead singer in the band was almost killed. Considering different violent options, Me and THE BAND’its decided to take revenge by not taking conventional revenge. The context of the second narrative is the negotiation between the band and the cultural administration of the community about a performance production. Meeting with a bureaucratic and cumbersome system led to frustration but at the same time strengthened the inner bonds in the band. This resulted in the decision to take “alternative revenge” by developing skills and authenticity of their music instead. Me and THE BAND’its alternative action of doing music instead of taking revenge ...
22 citations
TL;DR: While the descriptive statistics for the mean scores of the pooled results were considerably reduced after music therapy, indicating overall improvements in both internalizing and externalizing behavioural problems, there was a conspicuous variability in individual scores that contradicted the group results.
Abstract: The purpose of this pilot study was to determine both the feasibility and effects of music therapy on children who have been exposed to ongoing child abuse and poverty in South Korea. Four out of the 42 children, who had been identified as being exposed to the ongoing child maltreatment and poverty with marked behavioural problems, were randomly selected to receive once a week individual music therapy for 15 consecutive sessions. Both standardized measurements and behavioural observation were used to establish the effects and feasibility of music therapy. While the descriptive statistics for the mean scores of the pooled results were considerably reduced after music therapy in every measure, indicating overall improvements in both internalizing and externalizing behavioural problems, there was a conspicuous variability in individual scores that contradicted the group results. Effect sizes of change scores for most sub-scales were medium to large, however these were non-significant. The preferred musical a...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the resources that can come into play when music therapy participants perform publically, drawing upon findings from a qualitative case study of seven women who created and performed a musical in a maximum-security prison in Australia.
Abstract: To date, discourse on the use of performance in music therapy has mostly focused on the potential risks and benefits to the health of music therapy participants. This article focuses instead on the resources that can come into play when music therapy participants perform publically, drawing upon findings from a qualitative case study of seven women who created and performed a musical in a maximum-security prison in Australia. In-depth interviews with the women were analysed using a constructivist approach to grounded theory analysis, yielding five main resources as both precursors and outcomes to performance in music therapy: courage, readiness, exchange, support and trust (CREST). These findings are discussed in relation to resource-oriented music therapy and provide contextual information as to when, rather than if, performance may be considered therapeutically valuable in music therapy.
TL;DR: In this article, the methodological quality of controlled clinical trials on the effects of music therapy in palliative care was reviewed and the issues regarding the implementation of such designs were identified.
Abstract: Since the late 1970s, music therapy has been an important part of multidisciplinary palliative care programs Despite its wide application and high acceptance by patients, caregivers and staff members, recent systematic reviews and reports point to a lack of research, and the need for controlled clinical trials The present article reviews the methodological quality of controlled clinical trials on the effects of music therapy in palliative care and addresses issues regarding the implementation of such designs We identified eight studies (both published and unpublished), conducted between 2003 and 2013, through a systematic search of the scientific literature We present major challenges according to the PICOS taxonomy and provide recommendations for future research using controlled clinical trial designs
TL;DR: A community music therapy framework was employed to contextualize the possibilities available for providing sustainable music resources to facilitate an increase in accessibility for students with disabilities and to empower classroom communities to support the needs of those with disabilities.
Abstract: The author, a board-certified music therapist, and two colleagues, a literacy specialist and a special educator, travelled to Malawi, Africa in 2013 to explore the incidences of disabilities in the schools outside of the capital city of Lilongwe. Preliminary information was collected on the educational system, the types of strategies and supports that were in place for students with special needs, and the use of music as a resource in the classrooms and the communities. A community music therapy framework was employed to contextualize the possibilities available for providing sustainable music resources to facilitate an increase in accessibility for students with disabilities and to empower classroom communities to support the needs of those with disabilities.
TL;DR: The Nordic Journal of Music Therapy (NJMT) accepts manuscripts of empirical research, literature-based research, as well as other genres such as essays, perspectives on practice, and dialogues and other genres.
Abstract: The Nordic Journal of Music Therapy (NJMT) accepts manuscripts of empirical research, literature-based research, as well as other genres such as essays, perspectives on practice, and dialogues and ...
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative content analysis was conducted using session logs from 23 music therapy clients, and three session logs (one each from the beginning, middle and end) were analyzed for each participant using both structured and latent coding strategies.
Abstract: By sharing and shaping a common focus through music, music therapy clients in mental health care involve themselves in a therapeutic process which is not necessarily bound to verbal language. Supplementing previous research showing that even clients with a low therapy motivation can benefit from music therapy, this study concentrates on how a therapy focus can develop in a client population that is often hard to reach by verbal approaches. Based on the assumption that our clients’ implicit ideas of favourable changes inform their way to use music, we examined how music-related activities addressed in music therapy might depict underlying processes of therapeutic changes. A qualitative content analysis was conducted utilising session logs from 23 music therapy clients. Three session logs (one each from the beginning, middle and end) were analysed for each participant using both structured and latent coding strategies. Findings suggest that music-related activities reflect the client’s responsiveness toward...
TL;DR: In this paper, major themes and ideas in the book are presented, discussed, and at times challenged from a European/Scandinavian perspective, which is a welcome and important addition to the scholarly music therapy literature.
Abstract: Dr Ken Aigen’s new book is a welcome and important addition to the scholarly music therapy (MT) literature. It presents, discusses, and synthesizes topics that are rarely found in books or articles – a fine quality in itself. Aigen’s ambition is to introduce MT theory and its development in the last 50 years to readers from many disciplines. He discusses and reflects on important positions, models, and orientations in contemporary MT theory.In this essay, major themes and ideas in the book are presented, discussed, and at times challenged from a European/Scandinavian perspective.
TL;DR: The book Functional Piano for Music Therapists & Music Educators: An Exploration of Styles is published by Barcelona Publishers in print for $32.00 as discussed by the authors, with a spiral bound for easy use at home.
Abstract: Josh Massicot’s 242-page book Functional Piano for Music Therapists & Music Educators: An Exploration of Styles is offered by Barcelona Publishers in print for $32.00. Spiral bound for easy use at ...
TL;DR: In this paper, specific trends that were found during periods of playing Native American flutes for several autonomic and EEG measures were reported, which is an ethnic wind instrument played by many Native Americans.
Abstract: This letter reports on specific trends that were found during periods of playing Native American flutes for several autonomic and EEG measures.The Native American flute is an ethnic wind instrument...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors had the opportunity to listen once again to one of the big "heroes" of our discipline, Colwyn Trevarthen, who has contributed important foundational research on the role of "communica...
Abstract: This spring I had the opportunity to listen once again to one of the big “heroes” of our discipline, Colwyn Trevarthen, who has contributed important foundational research on the role of “communica...