Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Hinterland: The Development Of A Person-Centered Music Therapy Method For A Hospice Patient With Lewy Body Dementia, Paige Chaplin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explores the development and implementation of a music therapy method with an individual diagnosed with dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) receiving home hospice services. There is very little known about the effect of music therapy on patients diagnosed with DLB. Informed by Tom Kitwood’s Person-Centered Care (PCC) philosophy for dementia care, Yumiko Sato’s Musical Life Review (MLR) model, and Lisa Kelly and Bill Ahessy’s Reminiscence-Focused Music Therapy (RFMT) model, a clinical method was developed to explore the effects of person-centered music therapy on reminiscence, caregiver connection, and identity. I drew inspiration from music therapy concepts by Tony Wigram …

The Breath As A Holistic Regulator: An Expressive Arts Therapy Community Project, Jacobita Munoz

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone offers the idea that evolution has challenged appropriate breathing and led humans to breathe incorrectly, thus negatively affecting their physical and mental health. As breath can damage the body, it can also serve as a regulator of the mind and body. This thesis points out the multiple effects when uniting controlled respiration, drumming and nature sounds. Breathing, music and nature have many things in common. These include repetition, pattern, awareness of the present moment and relaxation. They all contain a rhythm, and they offer self-regulatory skills. Music-based expressive arts therapies intervention is postulated to provide breathing techniques, united …

Prescribing Music To Forensic Settings: A Literature Review, Sydney A. Bouchard

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Though prison is inherently musical, evidence-based forensic music therapy is rather understudied. This thesis critically reviews musical experiences in forensic environments and synthesizes its intersection with inmates' psychological distress. Additionally, the literature explores how forensic music therapy can act as a health and social resource for the incarcerated and their communities. Engaging in this work is vital because healthier correctional systems mean healthier communities (Hopwood, 2021). This review synthesizes relevant literature to inform better practices in music therapy, counseling, and healthcare and seeks to popularize discussion around an otherwise unpopular population, incarcerated folx. Emerging themes include (1) incarceration breeds negative …

The Use Of Violin Family Instruments In Music Therapy With Individuals Experiencing Acute Psychiatric Presentations: A Literature Review, Brianna Rzeznik

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review seeks to better understand the unique ways in which the four contemporary violin family instruments - violin, viola, cello, and double bass - can be used in music therapy with individuals experiencing mania, psychosis, and dissociation. In this paper, I explore the ways in which these four instruments have been used throughout Western music history and the different roles assigned to them by composers, as well as the ways in which they are used in music therapy today. I then explore the acute psychiatric presentations of mania, psychosis, and dissociation, and the treatments and goals that tend …

A Group Music Therapy Method To Promote Mentalization Skills In Clients With Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Lisa Riggs Hobbs

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

This paper investigates the development of a group music therapy method by adapting elements of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) to help clients with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). A prominent characteristic of NPD is a deficiency in empathy. The fostering of empathy and emotional awareness forms the basis of MBT. Music therapy offers a means to explore these skills on a nonverbal level. This work is even more impactful in a group setting. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of literature specific to music therapy and NPD. Furthermore, despite the availability of writings separately concerning NPD, MBT, group therapy, and music therapy, …

Music As A Gateway To Healing Speech Disorders And Mental Health Holistically In The Patient With Aphasia: A Literature Review, Susan Warren

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

People with some types of post-stroke aphasia often experience depression as well as loss of speech. Music therapy has unique properties that allow it to be used therapeutically to treat both speech impairment and depression yet it is rarely used to treat both disorders. This literature review seeks to examine the underlying causes for this discrepancy, review methods used by practitioners to treat both disorders and suggest future directions for additional research and implications for the treatment of patients with aphasia who have both language impairment and depression.

The Neuroanatomical, Neurochemical, And Phenomenological Correlates Of Social Bonding, Empathy, And Flow In Music Improvisation, Edward A. Roth

Dissertations

The three studies in this dissertation explore the biological and phenomenological under-pinnings of music improvisation related to bonding, empathy, and flow. Musical improvisation is a multi-dimensional behavior encompassing motor, cognitive, affective, and often social domains, and as such, it is reasonable to consider that music improvisation shares many characteristics with other forms of non-musical extemporaneous behavior, such as carrying on a verbal dialogue. The primary aims of this three-study dissertation were to (1) determine the feasibility of the study designs and interdisciplinary methods; (2) examine potential differences in the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological correlates of improvisation between non-musicians and musicians; and …

The Role Of Music In The Trauma Narrative And “Storytelling”: Perspectives Of Clinicians, Taylorlyn N. Mehnert

Masters Theses

There is a lack of detailed literature describing how music is used for expressing and processing the trauma narrative. This study used a constructivist grounded theory approach through an anti-oppressive lens to explore the ways in which music therapists use music in exploring clients’ stories. The term “story” is used as opposed to “narrative” or “memory” to incorporate a broader definition of expression including non-verbal, musical, metaphorical, or any other method the client chooses. Eight board-certified music therapists (MT-BC) were interviewed regarding their use of music in the context of clients’ stories. Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis was used …

A Pilot Study Of Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy In An Intensive Outpatient Program For Adults With Co-Occurring Mental Health And Substance Use Disorders, Jennifer Rebekah Hicks

Theses and Graduate Projects

This pilot study was designed to explore the use of mindfulness-based music therapy in an intensive outpatient program for adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. All participants completed the Brief Serenity Scale (Kreitzer et al., 2009) as a pre-test prior to their participation in this study. Participants took part in four monthly 50-minute mindfulness-based music therapy groups. At designated points throughout each music therapy session (including the beginning, end, and after each specific experience), the participants marked on a Likert scale where their thoughts were, in relation to the past, present, and future. Post-test measures of the …

A Proposed Music Therapy Protocol For Trauma-Informed, Culturally Aware Practice With Migrants At The Us-Mexico Border, Mackenzie K. Conner

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper reviews current literature surrounding therapeutic work done with the migrant population and considers it through the lens of future music therapy interventions to be done at the United States (US)-Mexico border. The migration process across the US-Mexico border is often filled with danger and treachery, leading to trauma responses, such as depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder. These traumatic experiences are augmented even further if there is a detention period or separation of families. In work reported by psychotherapists, counselors, and expressive arts therapists, there is often a focus of building empowerment, resilience, and coping skills. Yet …

The Effect Of Music Attention Control Training (Mact) For Pre-Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vienna Sa

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study are to investigate the effect of the Music Attention Control Training (MACT) on three types of attention (sustained, selective, switching) in pre-adolescents (10-14 years old) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to identify the impact of the level of severity (mild, moderate, severe) on changes in attention scores. This modified replication study included 23 participants randomly assigned to treatment and control group stratified based on severity of ASD. Significant results via two-tailed paired-sample t-test (p< .10) indicated significant positive trends with the treatment group for the 3 out of 4 subtests of selective attention: Hector Cancellation, Hector-B Cancellation, and Hecuba Visual Search; 1 out of 4 subtests of sustained attention: Sustained Attention Response Test (SART); and the single subtest of switching attention: Red & Blues, Bags & Shoes (RBBS). Results call for modifications to further support the role of MACT on attention skills with pre-adolescents with ASD. Implications for future research and contributions to clinical practices in music therapy are discussed.

Digital Music Making: Developing A Method For Using Technology In Music Psychotherapy, Sangeetha Kavety

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The use of technology, specifically digital songwriting and music making, in the context of psychotherapy is a subject that is not yet as well researched or practiced in the field of music therapy. The majority of the existing literature acknowledges the assistive function that technology such as tablets, smartphones, and computers can play in treatment of populations with cognitive and motor difficulties. However, there is little regarding the use of technology as the main means of creating music, and even less in the context of treatment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents in family settings. For this capstone project, …

Effects Of Therapeutic Music On Improving Depressive Symptoms Among Long-Term Care Facility Residents, Yi Jin

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Depression is a common mental disorder that can contribute to both physical and psychological suffering (Skinner, 2014). The prevalence rate of depression is especially high among long-term care facility residents (CounsultGeri, 2018; Lolk & Andersen, 2015). The purpose of this EBP project was to establish a protocol incorporating therapeutic music as an adjunct therapy for managing depressive symptoms among residents of a long-term care facility in the Midwest. Roy adaptation model (Roy, 2009) was utilized as the theoretical framework, and the model for evidence-based practice change (Rosswurm & Larrabee, 2009) guided the project implementation. A total of 13 subjects were …

Using Music Therapy As An Adjunct To Pharmacologic Therapies For Chronic Pain, Andrea L. Rosenberg

Theses and Graduate Projects

Chronic pain affects more than 1 in 4 individuals in the United States. Many patients are being prescribed opioids to manage this pain, leading to an immense problem involving addiction, overdoses, and preventable deaths. Music therapy has been shown to provide “music analgesia,” improving anxiety, depression, and mobility problems associated with chronic pain conditions. The most benefit was seen when the music was known to the patient, the patient had a role in choosing the music, and when the music had a beat of less than 120 beats per minute. These promising results include a wide variety of chronic pain …

The Effect Of Patterned Sensory Enhancement On Balance And Ambulation In Persons Diagnosed With Parkinson’S Disease, Brittany Barko

Masters Theses

One rehabilitation protocol effective in delaying the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is Lee Silverman Voice Training BIG (LSVT BIG), comprising pre-gait exercises and gait training. This study seeks to determine if combining Patterned Sensory Enhancement (PSE), a music therapy intervention, with LSVT BIG will improve quality of movement. During physical therapy sessions with three participants, a music therapist adapted the PSE stimuli to support each patient’s motor needs, which were then recorded on CD and sent with patients to exercise with at home. Results showed improved balance and ambulation comparing pre- and post- measures of the BERG balance scale …

A Survey Of Perceptions And Professional Boundaries Between Music Therapy And Speech-Language Pathology, Jennifer Rose Fromius

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between music therapists and speech-language pathologists in order to gain a better understanding of professional boundaries within each profession, frequency of co-treatment between the two professions, and perceptions of referral in clinical practice. Data for this research were collected through two online questionnaires with parallel sets of questions, which were distributed to a sample of boardcertified music therapists (MT-BC) and speech-language pathologists (CCC-SLP). Quantitative and qualitative data collected from the survey (N= 283; n = 45 MT-BC, n = 238 CCC-SLP) are analyzed to determine if there are correlations and …

An Analysis Of Music Therapy On Improving Social And Communication Skills In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Steven Koehler

Theses and Graduate Projects

Autism, a diagnosis that has skyrocketed and is worrisome to parents, teachers, clinicians and researchers. Over the past four decades, the rate of children suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder has grown 10 times and is the fastest growing disability in the US.1,2 Currently, 1 in 68 births are affected by Autism.1 Due to the high prevalence of this disability, researchers are searching for ways to treat the symptoms of this incurable disorder. Music therapy is gaining popularity as an intervention strategy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).3 This paper will analyze the benefits music therapy has on the improvement …

Analysis Of The Effects Of Music Therapy On Pain And Anxiety Levels In Pediatric Burn Patients, Maria Cook

Theses and Graduate Projects

Burn injuries resulting in tissue damage are considered one of the most severe traumas that can be experienced. Pain and anxiety continue to be major problems for patients with burn injuries during all stages of the treatment. Proper pain management is essential during recovery because it reduces the chance of developing malnutrition and promotes a stronger immune system. A number of studies have explored the effects of music on pain levels before, during, and after medical procedures for burn patients. Few studies have examined the effects of music therapy in the population of pediatric burn patients. Many studies have shown …

Analyzing Songs Used For Lyric Analysis With Mental Health Consumers Using Linguistic Inquiry And Word Count (Liwc) Software, Ashley M. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Lyric analysis is one of the most commonly used music therapy interventions with the mental health population, yet there is a gap in the research literature regarding song selection. The primary purpose of this study was to determine distinguishing linguistic characteristics of song lyrics most commonly used for lyric analysis with mental health consumers, as measured by LIWC2015 software. A secondary purpose was to provide an updated song list resource for music therapists and music therapy students working with the mental health population. The researcher emailed a survey to 6,757 board-certified music therapists, 316 of whom completed the survey. Respondents …

The Effect Music Has In Speech Therapy, Emily K. Nester

Honors Theses

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the use of music in speech therapy. A survey was sent via email to Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA) certified speech-language pathologists to acquire knowledge on the use of music in their therapy sessions. The author used the source, SurveyMonkey, to collect and analyze the data. The data was used to determine the prevalence of music in speech therapy. In addition, when music was used, the data portrayed how music was incorporated into therapy and the particular gender, genre, and/or disorder preferred.

Family-Based Music Therapy: Family Therapists' Perspectives, Beth Nemesh

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

ABSTRACT The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the use of musical interventions borrowed from music therapy in a family therapy context. Furthermore, the study aimed to move beyond current application of family-music therapy that focuses on a child, a member with special needs, or families with additional diagnoses to non-clinical families seeking therapy, focusing on the family as an entity. This research was based on the premise that engaging in musical activities is a natural, common endeavor that does not require special musical skills. This does not replace the immense body of knowledge needed for conventional …

Embodied Creative Arts Therapy Interventions With Trauma: A Qualitative Study, Brian Timothy Harris

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

With the primary purpose to extend therapists’ knowledge base, open dialogue on treatment efficacy, and stimulate creative yet effective interventions, this two-phase qualitative study pursued the guiding research question, How do creative arts therapists use embodied interventions in the treatment of psychological trauma? Phase One of the study was conducted with music therapists who had extensive experience with trauma and reported on their experiences with and awareness of embodied trauma treatment through a broad spectrum of creative modalities. Phase Two was grounded in theories of body awareness and creative arts therapy applications and included therapists specializing in music, dance/movement, art, …

Comparing Textbooks From Entry-Level Courses In Music Therapy And Related Health Professions, Alexandria Langella

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapists often co-treat with other therapists from related professions, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. In order to co-treat effectively and obtain referrals for music therapy services, it is important that other professionals have an awareness of the profession of music therapy. University-level professional training program courses are one place where health care professionals may learn about music therapy. The purpose of this study was to see if required textbooks used in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology entry-level courses in Kentucky contain references to music therapy, and if the required textbooks used in music therapy …

A Comparison Study Of Diagnostic Outcomes Between The Music Therapy Assessment Tool For Awareness In Disorders Of Consciousness (Matadoc) And The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (Crs-R), Caitlyn E. Bodine

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore preliminary external validation of a standardized music therapy assessment tool used in the detection of awareness with the DOC patient population with an external reference standard. Eight subjects were administered both the MATADOC and the CRS-R within five days of one another, and results were compared on the levels of overall diagnosis, analogous domain subscales, and intra-assessment relationships between individual domains and overall diagnosis. Results indicated a very strong level of agreement for overall diagnosis (r_s = .85, p < .01), very strong relationships between the auditory and visual components of the two assessments (r_s = .76, p < .05, and r_s = .81, p < .05, respectively), and a strong, but non-significant relationship between arousal scores on the two assessments (r …