Hospice and palliative care aim to support patients’ quality of life by reducing physiological, psychological, social and spiritual distress and improving comfort. Music therapists working in hospice care facilitate a variety of active and passive therapeutic music experiences (including songwriting, improvisation, guided imagery and music, lyric analysis, singing, instrument playing, and music supported relaxation techniques) to address end of life needs. In a 2005 journal article titled “Music Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care: a Review of the Empirical Data,” Russell Hilliard reviewed 11 empirical studies from the hospice and palliative care music therapy literature. This blog post will share the outcomes of his analysis and explain the implications for…
Older adults with Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease may display challenging behaviors when confused or agitated. This can be associated with the diagnosis, new medications, or changes in the environment. If these behaviors are severe, temporary psychiatric hospitalization may be necessary. Vink, Et Al describes the benefits activities for these older adults in the article “The Effect of Music Therapy Compared with General Recreational Activities in Reducing Agitation in People with Dementia: A Randomised Controlled Trial.” These demonstrated behaviors may be verbal or physical and may include general confusion, anger, combating care, wandering, or agitation. While these symptoms are often managed with medications, non-invasive forms of care (such as organized activities…
By: Stephanie H. Morris, MM, MT-BC, NMT This article comes from the second journal produced by the American Music Therapy Association. Music Therapy Perspectives is the “clinical” journal for the practicing music therapist. According to their website, this journal is “Designed to appeal to a wide readership, both inside and outside the profession of music therapy” (www.musictherapy.org). Dr. Thompson has many years of experience with young children diagnosed with autism. Her focus of this article is to highlight the concept of “family-centered practice” which has proved to be very effective, especially in early intervention situations when a child has been diagnosed with special needs. The therapist helps the family with…
By: Stephanie H. Morris, MM, MT-BC, NMT Once again, we find ourselves looking for research that supports the effectiveness of music therapy with individuals on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This article examines specifically at how music therapy can make a difference in social skills training. Dr. LaGasse, a well-known researcher in the field of music therapy and autism, was able to complete this research funded by the Flagler Flutz Research Fund sponsored by the American Music Therapy Association. Located at Colorado State University, Dr. LaGasse used research assistants, other music therapists, teachers, and of course, the children and parents to assist her in completing this study. Without the cooperation…
By: Stephanie H. Morris, MM, MT-BC, NMT As I stated last month, reading research is an art and takes practice. My goal for discussing this particular article is to help you understand the significance of this research for the music therapy community and for parents and caregivers of children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This research was a joint effort by Dr. Lim and Ms. Draper, who at the time were at Sam Houston State University. For those who have been around others who live and work with individuals on the Autism Spectrum, the term “Applied Behavior Analysis” (ABA) is commonplace. It is often the way we…
By: Stephanie H. Morris, MM, MT-BC, NMT As a music educator, as well as a board certified music therapist, I thought it might be interesting to jump into some music education research this month for a glance at music educator’s views of individuals with disabilities and the challenges they face in the music classroom. Mr. Abramo is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. I read this article in 2012 when I was in the middle of my master’s degree and highly interested in how music therapy impacted school districts across the United States. Surprisingly, Mr. Abramo did not mention music therapy in this article. I wrote…
By: Jessica Schlabach, MT-BC Living with a child with anxiety can be stressful for the caregivers, siblings, and other professionals interacting with the child. Without treatment, these behaviors can extend into adulthood so intervention should occur as early as the behaviors appear. Current treatment includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, pharmacological treatment, or a combination of these treatments. Music therapy is a non-invasive and safe way to help children manage their anxiety. This therapy is hands on and gives children an alternative method to communicate their feelings, which children may have trouble conveying through words. Goldbeck & Ellerkamp (2012) conducted a study of children ages eight to twelve diagnosed with anxiety disorders.…
By: Melissa Heffner, MT-BC A group of researchers from Taiwan wanted to test the effectiveness of music therapy in a group setting in maintaining cognitive function and improving depression in elderly persons with dementia. Their article, “The Impact of Group Music Therapy on Depression and Cognition in Elderly Persons With Dementia: A Randomized Control Study,” appeared in Biological Research for Nursing in 2014. Previous research has shown music therapy to be an effective way to delay cognitive deterioration and reduce depression and anxiety in elderly persons with dementia. These researchers wished to include participants who were more than 82 years old as well as use both biochemical and psychosocial measures.…
By: Jessica Schlabach, MT-BC There are many challenges a person can face when receiving treatment for an addiction. One of these challenges may be facing depression. Music therapy can be a positive means to deal with newfound emotions, depression, and the struggle of alcohol withdrawal. Depression often accompanies drug or alcohol dependence. Michael Silverman found in his 2011 article “Effects of Music Therapy on Change and Depression on Clients in Detoxification” in Journal of Addictions Nursing that music therapy songwriting groups had slightly lower depression scores than a typical verbal processing group. In this study, the researcher conducted music therapy songwriting groups focused on change. Most of the people in…
By: Amy Dunlap, MT-BC Caregiver stress, burnout, compassion fatigue; We have all heard those words before, but have we really listened? Or taken the time to consider whether we are at risk? And if so, what are we going to do about it? If you are a healthcare professional or have ever cared for a loved one who was ill, you have likely felt any or all of these things at some point, but were simply too busy helping others to help yourself. You might have thought, “I’m not the one who is ill. How can I justify taking the time to care for myself when my spouse/parent/child/patient needs me?…