Music performance anxiety in classical musicians - what we know about what works

When pursued professionally, the demands of musical training and performance can interfere with musicians' well-being and health. Music performance anxiety, while energising at optimal levels, impairs performance quality when excessive. A range of interventions has been explored to address it. However, the poor methodological quality of such studies and the complexity of this issue should mobilise further research resources in this direction

Better practice: health promotion in the music conservatoire

This thesis addresses two main questions: 1) What can be learned from existing approaches to promoting musicians' health? 2) How can such approaches be adapted, applied and evaluated across educational and professional contexts in the UK and internationally? To answer the first question, literature reviews were conducted of interventions aimed at improving health education; preventing music performance anxiety (MPA) and performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs); and conserving musicians’ hearing. A survey of European conservatoires was conducted to explore their provision of health education. A range of programmes was reported; they vary widely in focus, quality, and outcomes. Only 21 responses were received, so firm conclusions cannot be drawn, but guidelines on health education are clearly worth developing. A study of trends in students’ use of counselling at a UK music conservatoire showed year-on-year increases in sessions attended, primarily for issues related to self-esteem, relationships, academic concerns, loss, abuse and anxiety. To answer the second question, a compulsory health and wellbeing course for 103 first year students at the same conservatoire was designed on the basis of findings described above and in collaboration with members of Healthy Conservatoires. Pre-post testing showed improvements in the students’ perceived knowledge of health topics, awareness of risks to health, and self-efficacy; the students enjoyed the course and reported changes in both attitudes and behaviours. Finally, 111 music students at several UK conservatoires took part in a cross-sectional survey designed to investigate a range of potential risk factors for PRMDs. The results showed poor knowledge of official guidelines for physical activity (PA) despite high levels of self-reported PA; relatively high levels of anxiety; and reliance on teachers and lectures for health-related information. The thesis concludes with a discussion of its implications and suggestions for further research, including an example of relevant ongoing research on musicians’ health literacy

Comparative study on the development of emotional intelligence of institutionalized adolescents and teenagers in the family

AbstractProblem statement: A major group of disorders which abandonment brings out relates to the development of the institutionalized adolescent's personality (emotional imbalance, distortions in social relations). Adolescents from the foster home tend to develop a less affirmed personality, being conformists and subordinates to the others’ ideals. It is difficult for them to be confronted with the imperatives of the independent life. Conclusions: The results of this study formed the bases of achieving a psychotherapeutic intervention model - structured planning meetings, each meeting have the objectives and techniques to use

A Psychotherapeutic Model Based on Systemic Therapy for Institutionalized Youth’s Social Reintegration

AbstractTreating emotional typologies, knowing different aspects of the psychological profile of the institutionalized adolescent, compared to the one from the community, can be analyzed from different perspectives, but the affectivity‘s complexity does not allow an exhaustive approach. The purpose of this study was to develop a psychotherapeutic intervention model based on psycho-therapeutic and pedagogical interventions in accepting and healing the traumatic wounds, as well as to improve behavioural - actionable disturbances, observed in the institutionalized adolescents, in order to develop personal autonomy and facilitate the social inclusion. The model is a tool in the service of the adult who is responsible for the care, education and training of the institutionalized teenager

Health education for musicians

Context and aims: Many musicians suffer for their art, and health is often compromised during training. The Health Promotion in Schools of Music (HPSM) project has recommended that health education should be included in core curricula, although few such courses have been evaluated to date. The aim of the study was to design, implement and evaluate a compulsory health education course at a UK conservatoire of music. Methods: The course design was informed by a critical appraisal of the literature on musicians' health problems and their management, existing health education courses for musicians, and the HPSM recommendations. It was delivered by a team of appropriately-qualified tutors over 5 months to 104 first-year undergraduate students, and evaluated by means of questionnaires at the beginning and end of the course. Thirty-three students who had been in their first year the year before the course was introduced served as a control group, completing the questionnaire on one occasion only. Items concerned: hearing and use of hearing protection; primary outcomes including perceived knowledge and importance of the topics taught on the course; and secondary outcomes including physical and psychological health and health-promoting behaviors. The content of the essays written by the first-year students as part of their course assessment served as a guide to the topics they found most interesting and relevant. Results: Comparatively few respondents reported using hearing protection when practicing alone, although there was some evidence of hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. Perceived knowledge of the topics on the course, and awareness of the risks to health associated with performing music, increased, as did self-efficacy; otherwise, there were negative effects on secondary outcomes, and few differences between the intervention and control groups. The topics most frequently covered in students' essays were managing music performance anxiety, and life skills and behavior change techniques. Conclusion: There is considerable scope for improving music students' physical and psychological health and health-related behaviors through health education, and persuading senior managers, educators and students themselves that health education can contribute to performance enhancement

Why do music students attend counselling? A longitudinal study of reasons in one UK conservatoire

Music students in tertiary education struggle with a range of health-related problems. We investigated students’ self-referrals for counselling at a UK conservatoire in order to explore trends in students’ attendance at counselling sessions over time, and identify their reasons for seeking and continuing to attend counselling. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected from 645 students by two in-house counsellors at the conservatoire between 2000 and 2016. We obtained analogous data on all students registered during the same period for comparison, running chi-square and non-parametric tests of association between groups. A total of 645 students attended a mean of eight (Mdn=4) counselling sessions over the 16-year period: 63% were female, 79% were from the UK, and 72.5% were undergraduate students. The percentages of students attending counselling increased from two (1%) in 2000-2001 to 71 (13%) in 2015-2016. The presenting concerns of almost one in ten students who sought counselling were related to self-esteem, self-confidence, ego strength and coping ability. Their main reasons for continuing to attend counselling were also to do with self and identity, relationships, academic concerns, loss, abuse, and anxiety. Female students, postgraduate students, and those studying singing were most likely to attend counselling sessions

Acceptability of a theory-based sedentary behaviour reduction intervention for older adults ('On Your Feet to Earn Your Seat')

Background: Adults aged 60 years and over spend most time sedentary and are the least physically active of all age groups. This early-phase study explored acceptability of a theory-based intervention to reduce sitting time and increase activity in older adults, as part of the intervention development process. Methods: An 8-week uncontrolled trial was run among two independent samples of UK adults aged 60–75 years. Sample 1, recruited from sheltered housing on the assumption that they were sedentary and insufficiently active, participated between December 2013 and March 2014. Sample 2, recruited through community and faith centres and a newsletter, on the basis of self-reported inactivity (<150 weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity) and sedentary behaviour (≥6 h mean daily sitting), participated between March and August 2014. Participants received a booklet offering 16 tips for displacing sitting with light-intensity activity and forming activity habits, and self-monitoring ‘tick-sheets’. At baseline, 4-week, and 8-week follow-ups, quantitative measures were taken of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and habit. At 8 weeks, tick-sheets were collected and a semi-structured interview conducted. Acceptability was assessed for each sample separately, through attrition and adherence to tips, ANOVAs for behaviour and habit changes, and, for both samples combined, thematic analysis of interviews. Results: In Sample 1, 12 of 16 intervention recipients completed the study (25 % attrition), mean adherence was 40 % (per-tip range: 15–61 %), and there were no clear patterns of changes in sedentary or physical activity behaviour or habit. In Sample 2, 23 of 27 intervention recipients completed (15 % attrition), and mean adherence was 58 % (per-tip range: 39–82 %). Sample 2 decreased mean sitting time and sitting habit, and increased walking, moderate activity, and activity habit. Qualitative data indicated that both samples viewed the intervention positively, found the tips easy to follow, and reported health and wellbeing gains. Conclusions: Low attrition, moderate adherence, and favourability in both samples, and positive changes in Sample 2, indicate the intervention was acceptable. Higher attrition, lower adherence, and no apparent behavioural impact among Sample 1 could perhaps be attributable to seasonal influences. The intervention has been refined to address emergent acceptability problems. An exploratory controlled trial is underway

Tungsten Nanoparticles Produced by Magnetron Sputtering Gas Aggregation: Process Characterization and Particle Properties

Tungsten and tungsten nanoparticles are involved in a series of processes, in nanotechnology, metallurgy, and fusion technology. Apart from chemical methods, nanoparticle synthesis by plasma offers advantages as good control of size, shape, and surface chemistry. The plasma methods are also environmentally friendly. In this chapter, we present aspects related to the magnetron sputtering gas aggregation (MSGA) process applied to synthesis of tungsten nanoparticles, with size in the range of tens to hundreds of nanometers. We present the MSGA process and its peculiarities in the case of tungsten nanoparticle synthesis. The properties of the obtained particles with a focus on the influence of the process parameters over the particle production rate, their size, morphology, and structure are discussed. To the end, we emphasize the utility of such particles for assessing the environmental and biological impacts in case of using tungsten as wall material in thermonuclear fusion reactors

New insights into the metabolic-bone crosstalk in active acromegaly

Introduction: Body composition (BC) and adipokines share bone active properties and display an altered profile in acromegaly. The fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23)/α-Klotho system, also involved in bone metabolism, is upregulated in growth hormone (GH) excess states. Hence, we aimed to investigate their impact on bone in active acromegaly, compared to controls. Material and methods: BC, bone mineral density (BMD) (via dual X-ray absorptiometry), serum adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, resistin), parathyroid hormone (PTH), FGF23, α-Klotho, and osteocalcin were assessed in a cross-sectional study enrolling 35 patients with active acromegaly (Acro), compared to 35 sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) one-to-one matched healthy controls (CTL). Results: The Acro group had higher bone density scores (p &lt; 0.05), lower visceral fat depots (p = 0.011), and lower serum leptin (p &lt; 0.001) but elevated adiponectin (p &lt; 0.001) and resistin (p = 0.001) concentrations when compared to the CTL group. α-Klotho was not related to the GH/IGF1 axis in the Acro group. Resistin was higher in both diabetic and non-diabetic Acro compared to CTL (p &lt; 0.05). Age and BC were the main independent BMD predictors in regression analysis in both groups, while IGF1 was a positive predictor of osteocalcin levels in the Acro (β = 0.48, p = 0.006). The correlations between adipokines, the FGF23/α-Klotho system, and bone parameters, respectively, were lost after adjusting for age and BC. Conclusions: Age and BC were the main independent BMD predictors in the acromegalic patients with active disease, while IGF1 was independently associated with serum osteocalcin concentrations. The role of α-Klotho in evaluating acromegaly and the associated osteopathy in the long-term appears to be limited. Our study is among the first to report significant serum resistin changes in patients with active acromegaly, opening new insights in the GH-mediated insulin resistance. The GH-resistin relationship merits further investigations