Resource-oriented music therapy for psychiatric patients with low therapy motivation: Protocol for a randomised controlled trial [NCT00137189]

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown positive effects of music therapy for people with schizophrenia and other mental disorders. In clinical practice, music therapy is often offered to psychiatric patients with low therapy motivation, but little research exists about this population. The aim of this study is to examine whether resource-oriented music therapy helps psychiatric patients with low therapy motivation to improve negative symptoms and other health-related outcomes. An additional aim of the study is to examine the mechanisms of change through music therapy. METHODS: 144 adults with a non-organic mental disorder (ICD-10: F1 to F6) who have low therapy motivation and a willingness to work with music will be randomly assigned to an experimental or a control condition. All participants will receive standard care, and the experimental group will in addition be offered biweekly sessions of music therapy over a period of three months. Outcomes will be measured by a blind assessor before and 1, 3, and 9 months after randomisation. DISCUSSION: The findings to be expected from this study will fill an important gap in the knowledge of treatment effects for a patient group that does not easily benefit from treatment. The study's close link to clinical practice, as well as its size and comprehensiveness, will make its results well generalisable to clinical practice

Mission analysis of photovoltaic solar energy conversion. Volume IV. Supplementary studies

A discussion is presented of the most significant problems associated with the production and deployment of photovoltaic arrays. The principal chemical compounds to be used in the manufacture of silicon, gallium arsenide, and cadmium sulfide photovoltaic arrays are discussed with respect to physical and chemical properties, sources of the raw materials required to extract or synthesize these materials, the methods of manufacture, storage and handling in large quantities, transportation restrictions, spills, leaks, ignition and explosion. A discussion of safety hazards associated with the finished products is followed by an analysis of the toxicological properties of all raw, refined, and finished chemical species involved. The principal tool used in the evaluation of incentive strategies was a new Public Utility Financial Analysis and Planning Model which is described in some detail. After adaptation to match the characteristics of photovoltaic plants, it was used in the comparative evaluation of six different incentive strategies. The candidate strategies, the rationale for their selection, and the results of the comparative evaluation are presented. An account is given of an attempt to assess the full non-internalized costs of coal-fired power generation. A detailed description is given of the various damage elements and their associated societal costs for coal production, coal transportation, and coal-fired power generation. (MHR