An assessment model for the musical material produced during the course of music therapy

Assessment is described as the collection and analysis of information with an objective of planning and implementing an effective treatment program. Past research suggests that the professional recognition, level of communication in interdisciplinary teams and the results of research directly depend on the successful implementation of an assessment system. However, to date no tools that assess musical material produced during the course of music therapy are formalised or widely implemented into clinical practice. After exploration of both the clinicians’ and researchers’ needs for an assessment system and thorough analysis of the existing assessment tools used in music therapy settings, an assessment model for musical material was created. We propose that every music therapy client has his / her own manner of improvising that can be identified by Musical Profile. Musical Profile provides information about the individual manner of playing as well as the temporal evolution of musical processes. This model combines both sensitivity to individual characteristics and objectivity in collecting and measuring the data. In order to test the validity of Musical Profile it was applied to the analysis of musical content. The audio and MIDI materials analysed were collected in 2008-2009 by a group of researchers from the University of Jyväskylä. Clinical improvisations produced by six depressed clients were imported into the Matlab environment and subsequently analysed with different functions provided by MIRToolbox (version 1.5) and MIDI Toolbox (version 1.0.1). As a last step, statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software. The results show that Musical Profile can be successfully implemented into practice and that this model is capable of revealing significant differences between participants in an objective way.nonPeerReviewe

An overview of the music therapy professional recognition in the EU

This article documents the development of the professional recognition of music therapy in the EU. First, a brief history of the origins of modern music therapy in Europe is presented, followed by more detailed analysis of the establishment of training courses and professional associations across Europe. Second, the stages in the professionalization process according to Ridder, Lerner and Suvini (2015) are discussed. Third, the importance of the European Music Therapy Confederation in promoting music therapy recognition in the EU is highlighted.peerReviewe

Professional freedom : A grounded theory on the use of music analysis in psychodynamic music therapy

Although music is the fundamental element of music therapy, music analysis methods are a particularly under-researched area. This study investigates how and when psychodynamically orientated music therapists employ the analysis of musical material in both clinical work and research. Constructivist grounded theory was employed in the collection and analysis of the data. Eight participants, all highly experienced in psychodynamic music therapy, were recruited using referral sampling. In-depth interviews focused on therapists’ experiences of working with different client groups, and the applicability of different assessment methods. Strauss and Corbin’s coding paradigm was used to determine causal and intervening conditions, action strategies and the consequences of music analysis. Professional freedom (a tension between creative forces and professional responsibilities) emerged as the most important factor influencing the method, application and frequency of music analysis. Therapists used either explicit knowledge (model-based theoretical understanding and reductionist action strategy), or implicit knowledge (context-based theoretical understanding and holistic action strategy) or used a combination of both approaches. Implicit knowledge was found to lessen the ability to give an account of analytical processes, but increased sensitivity to clients’ abilities and needs, while explicit knowledge led to frustration about interdisciplinary disagreement, greater excitement about discovery and increased workloads.peerReviewe

Favouring emotional processing in improvisational music therapy through resonance frequency breathing: a single-case experimental study with a healthy client

Resonance frequency breathing (RFB) is a form of slow breathing at around six breaths/min, whose immediate effects are to substantially increase heart rate variability (HRV) and to reduce stress levels. Since RFB has already been successfully used on its own to treat various emotional disorders, we wanted to evaluate its effect on emotional processing when used as a preparatory intervention in improvisational music therapy. To do so, we performed a single-subject experimental study with a healthy participant. We hypothesised that RFB would serve both as an emotional catalyst and emotional regulator, the actual outcome depending on the client’s current issues and needs. The study consisted of 10 music therapy sessions, with the breathing intervention used at the beginning of every other session, in alternation with a control intervention. The data collection focussed on HRV during talking and music-making, emotion and abstraction levels in verbal content, body language, and a set of music features extracted from the client’s improvisations. Our results show that the sessions starting with RFB were characterised by higher stress levels and the expression of more negative emotions, without it leading to hyperarousal and integration problems.peerReviewe

Enhancing the efficacy of integrative improvisational music therapy in the treatment of depression : study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide. Not all people with depression respond adequately to standard treatments. An innovative therapy that has shown promising results in controlled trials is music therapy. Based on a previous trial that suggested beneficial effects of integrative improvisational music therapy (IIMT) on short and medium-term depression symptoms as well as anxiety and functioning, this trial aims to determine potential mechanisms of and improvements in its effects by examining specific variations of IIMT. Methods/design A 2 × 2 factorial randomised controlled trial will be carried out at a single centre in Finland involving 68 adults with a diagnosis of depression (F32 or F33 in International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th revision). All participants will receive 6 weeks of bi-weekly IIMT, where they are invited to improvise music and reflect on those improvisations with a music therapist in a one-to-one setting. Potential enhancements to IIMT will include: home-based listening to recorded improvisations (LH) from IIMT sessions to facilitate integration of therapeutic processing into daily life; and resonance frequency breathing (RFB), a breathing exercise at the beginning of each session to facilitate emotional expression and processing. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1:1:1 ratio into each combination (IIMT alone or with one or both enhancements). The primary outcome is depressive symptoms measured by the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes are depressive symptoms at 6 months; anxiety, quality of life, and functioning at 6 weeks and 6 months; and adverse events. Secondary underlying mechanisms/process variables are self-rated momentary depression level before every IIMT session; and homework compliance in IIMT + LH. Statistical analyses involve an intention-to-treat approach, using a linear mixed-effects model examining the main effects (LH vs no LH; RFB vs no RFB) and interaction effects (LH × RFB). Discussion This trial will contribute to understanding the mechanisms of IIMT and may further enhance the effectiveness of an intervention that was previously shown to be superior to standard care alone for adults with depression.peerReviewe