The prevalence of dementia, a progressive and degenerative syndrome, increases dramatically with age (Alzheimer’s Disease International, n.d.), and it is critical to develop effective strategies and evidence-based interventions to improve the quality of life for persons with dementia (Crespo, Hornillos, & De Quirós, 2013; Vink, Birks, Bruinsma, & Scholten, 2004). Music therapy has drawn attention as a promising non-pharmacological approach for individuals with dementia (Brotons, 2000; Vink et al., 2004). A variety of music interventions have been widely applied for dementia care not only by music therapists, but also by other healthcare professionals. Among those interventions, singing and listening are utilized most frequently. The purpose of the current study was to compare the short-term effects of two music interventions, including a music therapy-singing group and a music medicine-listening group, as well as a control-TV group, on quality of life and positive and negative affect of persons with dementia at a long-term care facility. Fifty-two participants, ranging in age from 63 to 99 years, were randomly assigned to one of three groups, and thirty-seven completed the interventions. The participants in each group were engaged for a 40-minute session twice a week for four consecutive weeks. The music therapy-singing group was facilitated by a music therapist, whereas the music medicine-listening and the control-TV group were led by nursing home activity assistants. Quality of life was measured at baseline and after the last session. Only the MT-singing group demonstrated significant improvements when compared to the other groups. Positive and negative affect were measured at three points, including pre and post the first, fourth and eighth sessions. Only the MT-singing group increased positive affect scores and decreased negative affect scores significantly. Based on the findings of the current study, music therapy involving singing may be beneficial in improving quality of life and affect in persons with dementia at long-term care facilities. / Music Therapy

This study examined how Mary Priestley musically implemented 15 Analytical Music Therapy (AMT) techniques for exploring conscious material, accessing unconscious material, and strengthening the ego. Using the Priestley archives at Temple University, the author listened to 96 recorded examples of individual AMT sessions with 31 adult clients that were made between the years 1975-1991 to examine and aurally identify the musical phenomena and patterns occurring in the musical implementation of AMT techniques. The results of the study present clinical considerations necessary for applying each AMT technique and the clinical/musical roles of the analytical music therapist. Finally, this study presents distinctions between traditional and contemporary AMT practice and implications for AMT training and supervision. / Music Therapy

This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of Music Therapy (MT), Music Medicine (MM), or Attention Control (AC) on physiological and psychological parameters of stress for adult and older adult patients receiving care in the Intensive Care Unit of a community general hospital. Previous studies have indicated effectiveness of music therapy or music medicine for these medical patients, but few data are available for music therapy interventions. This study was an attempt to add to available information about the effects of music therapy compared to the effects of music medicine or attention control for this patient population. Participants (twenty-eight adults, ranging in age from 37-83 years; not mechanically ventilated at the time of session) were randomly assigned to music therapy, music medicine or the attention control group. Repeated measures of heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and anxiety and pain levels were collected before the session, immediately after the session and at 60 minutes post-session. Anxiety was measured using the Faces Anxiety Scale, and pain was self-reported via a Visual Analog Scale. Post-session length of stay was collected from the participants' medical records. Overall, there were no significant interactions among study groups and outcome measures. There was a statistically significant difference between length of stay for music therapy participants and attention control. Over time from pre-session to post-session, statistically significant decreases in anxiety scores were measured for both music medicine and music therapy groups. Pain scores decreased for both music medicine and music therapy groups, however not significantly. Some medically beneficial effects of music therapy or music medicine were evident in the data. / Music Therapy

The purpose of this study was twofold: to critically review existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the topic of music and pain; and to systematically review and conduct a meta-analysis of clinical trials investigating the effect of music on pain encompassing a wide range of medical diagnoses, settings, age groups, and types of pain. For the review of systematic reviews, the author conducted a comprehensive search and identified 14 systematic reviews and meta-analyses. These studies were critically analyzed to present a comprehensive overview of findings, to evaluate methodological quality of the reviews, to determine issues or gaps in the literature, and to generate research questions for the following meta-analysis. For the meta-analysis, the author conducted electronic searches of 12 databases and a handsearch of related journals and reference lists of relevant systematic reviews, with partial restrictions on design (i.e., randomized controlled trials); language (i.e., English, German, Korean, and Japanese); year of publication (i.e., 1995 to 2014) and intervention (i.e., music therapy and music medicine). Analyzed studies included 87 music medicine (MM) and 10 music therapy (MT) trials; eighty-nine of the included studies involved adults and eight trials focused on children. In terms of the types of pain, there were 51 trials on acute, 34 on procedural, and 12 on cancer or chronic pain; the trials were conducted in over 20 different medical specialty areas. For the assessment of study quality, I used the risk of bias tool developed by the Cochrane collaboration, and pooled data from the included studies were analyzed using the Revman 5.3 software according to the effects of music on levels of pain intensity, amount of analgesic use, and changes in vital signs. The results indicated that music interventions resulted in a significant reduction of 1.13 units on 0-10 scales and a small to moderate pain reducing effect on other scales (SMD = -0.39). Participants in the music group experienced a significantly lower level of emotional distress from pain (MD = -10.8), and required significantly fewer anesthetics (SMD = -0.56), opioids (SMD = -0.24), and non-opioid medications (SMD = -0.54). Moreover, the music group showed statistically significant decreases in heart rate of 4.25 bpm, systolic blood pressure of 3.34 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure of 1.18 mmHg, and respiration rate of 1.46 breaths per minute. Findings from several analyses of moderator variables suggest: MT has a stronger effect in reducing self-rated pain intensity than MM; MT is more effective in reducing chronic/cancer pain than other types of pain, but MM seems to be more effective in managing procedural pain; children benefit more from music interventions than do adults, and more from MT than MM; providing different levels of choices in the selection of music yields different outcomes for MM; having a rationale for selection of music greatly improves the treatment outcome for MM; and an active MT approach is more effective in relieving perceived levels of pain than a passive MT approach. The results from the current meta-analysis demonstrate that music interventions may have beneficial effects on pain, emotional distress from pain, use of anesthetics and pain killers, and vital signs including heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and respiration rate. However, these results need to be interpreted with caution due to highly heterogeneous outcomes among the included studies. Considering all the possible benefits, music interventions may provide an effective complimentary approach for the relief of acute, procedural and cancer/chronic pain in the medical setting. / Music Therapy

The aim of this arts-based research study was to experience, analyze, and gain insight into songs written by adolescents who have had adverse childhood experiences and who identify with Hip Hop culture. This study investigated the aesthetic components of eleven songs including their musical elements, the compositional techniques, the affective-intuitive qualities, and the interaction between the music and the lyrics. An arts-based research design, rooted in the ethos of Hip Hop, was employed to gain a holistic understanding of the songs. My artistic encounters and subsequent analyses of the songs revealed the complex inner struggles and developmental challenges for adolescents who have experienced extreme trauma. Three groupings of songs emerged: Songs that Protect Vulnerability, Songs of Abandonment, and Songs of Faith and Love. Each category reflects a different stage of developmental growth for the songwriters. Employing Fowler's (1981/1995) stages of faith development, a music-centered developmental model of therapeutic songwriting with adolescents is proposed in this study. This model consists of three therapeutic songwriting stages: Imitation, Developing Self-Reflection, and Developing Self-Love. The implications for this study include developing an arts-based method of song analysis for students and professionals, developing a music-centered therapeutic songwriting assessment, developing a perspective for music therapy practice and research rooted in the ethos of Hip Hop, and developing longitudinal arts-based research studies that track the life of songs across various stages of developmental growth. / Music Therapy

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of responsiveness to the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM), as measured by the Responsiveness to Guided Imagery and Music scale (RGIM). It was hypothesized that when combined, Sense of Coherence (SOC), state trait anxiety (STAI), classical music experience (CME), gender, and/or age would account for a significant amount of variance in responsiveness to BMGIM. Sixty volunteer participants were recruited from the general population. They all attended one research session where they participated in a group Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) experience. Prior to the group GIM experience, participants completed a demographic questionnaire (including a CME measure), the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the SOC scale. After the group GIM experience, participants completed the RGIM scale. Once data collection was completed, the reliability and construct validity of the RGIM was examined. Exploratory factor analyses revealed that the RGIM contained five distinct factors: (a) Ability to Relax (AR), (b) Ability to Image to Music (AIM), (c) Responsiveness to Music and Guiding (RMG), (d) Comfort with Self-Disclosure (CSD), and (e) Meaningfulness of the Experience (MOE). These were the dependent (criterion) variables in this study. Before analyzing the data, the researcher ran diagnostics to check for assumptions of regression. Correlational statistical techniques were used to identify significant relationships between variables, and three sets of exploratory multiple linear regressions were used to identify which combinations of variables were the most accurate predictors of RGIM factors. Results of the first multiple regression showed that together, SOC, classical music experience, and age are predictors of "Ability to Image to Music," "Responsiveness to Music and Guiding," and "Meaningfulness of the Experience." Results of the second multiple regression showed that together, state anxiety, classical music experience, and age are predictors of "Ability to Image to Music," "Responsiveness to Music and Guiding," and "Meaningfulness of the Experience." Results of the third multiple regression showed that together, trait anxiety, classical music experience, and age are predictors of "Responsiveness to Music and Guiding." A number of other significant and non-significant results were found and are discussed. Limitations of the study as well as recommendations for future research, clinical practice, and education/training are presented. / Music Therapy

This study examined a music therapy technique designed according to a resource-oriented approach and involved the use of music listening with adults, called "Intentional Music Listening". This protocol consisted of four music listening techniques. An exploratory sequential design was used, with a quantitative data phase followed by a qualitative data phase. The quantitative phase employed a modified crossover design, with an experimental group and waitlist control group. Participants attended groups at which they were coached in the music listening techniques for at-home practice. Quantitative data was gathered using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) (Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988), and through completion of diary cards after each at-home listening protocol. The qualitative data phase consisted of semi-structured interviews following participation in the music listening protocol. Both the statistical data and the qualitative data give support for the Intentional Music Listening protocol as having a positive impact on the participants' perceived state of well-being, and as a viable set of techniques for use in wellness-based music therapy practice. / Music Therapy

Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) is a unique method of psychotherapy that uses music and spontaneous imagery while the client is in a non-ordinary state of consciousness (NOSC). Therapists in any therapeutic modality including GIM have a wide range of unanticipated reactions to clients' experiences. Studies have indicated that reactions of the therapist can lead to different interventions and can impact the outcome of the session and perceived effectiveness as a therapist. Because GIM therapists often work with clients who have extensive emotional and physical issues, it is possible that the therapists have strong reactions to clients’ experiences, which can lead to burnout. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore therapists’ experience of unanticipated reactions through the within-case and cross-case analysis using phenomenology outlined by Moustakas (1994). Findings suggested that the GIM therapist had certain expectations in GIM and it was normal for the GIM therapist to have unanticipated reactions to clients' experiences when those expectations were not met. There were several factors that affected the decision-making of GIM therapists after unanticipated reactions, including self-mediation, cognitive foundation, self-awareness, therapist's past experiences, trust, surrender, being present, integration, and self-care. Findings also suggested that GIM therapists could deal with unanticipated reactions within the scope of practice as they engage in personal-growth, self-care, and continuing education. Two guidelines were proposed to understand the process of GIM therapists in their moments of unanticipated reactions. Limitations and implications for further studies were discussed. / Music Therapy

Operation är vanligtvis associerat med känslor av rädsla, ångest och oro hos patienter. Den perioperativa processen med alla dess förberedelser och information är för många främmande med risker för egen hälsa och ökat lidande. Musik är ett kostnadseffektivt och icke-farmakologiskt hjälpmedel som kan skapa trygghet och lindra patienternas negativa upplevelser inför operation. Syftet var att utforska hur musik påverkar patienternas upplevelse under den perioperativa processen. Studien utfördes genom integrativ litteraturöversikt med systematisk ansats, vilket gav möjlighet att inkludera såväl kvantitativ som kvalitativ data. Detta gav möjligheten att utforska både upplevelsen hos patienterna samt effekter kring behandlingen. Datainsamlingen gjordes i tre databaser och kvalitetsgranskades med CASP. Dataanalysen utfördes genom sammanställning av delar som hade betydelse för studiens syfte vilket vidare kunde kategoriseras till sex subkategorier och två huvudkategorier. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av patienterna upplevde en positiv effekt av att få lyssna på musik under den perioperativa processen. Framförallt framkom mindre ångest och smärta såväl som ett ökat lugn och välbefinnande. Musiken fungerade även som avledning från den främmande miljön och gav till resultat att den upplevdes mer familjär. Musiken är ett skonsamt och hjälpande redskap som med enkelhet kan användas av vårdpersonal för att skapa en trygg och lindrande miljö för patienter under den perioperativa processen. Med rätt förutsättningar och kunskap om dess gynnande effekt kan det användas som alternativt behandlingsmedel för vårdpersonal.

Background ​​Dementia is a progressive disease that primarily affects the elderly in Sweden, and it affects the functions of the brain, which leads to impaired motor, physical and cognitive ability. Anxiety and distress in individuals with dementia are often linked to reduced independence, obstacles in performing daily activities, and behavioral issues. The primary treatment for dementia involves qualified and professional care.​ Aim ​​The aim was to highlight the effect of music as a nursing intervention for anxiety and agitation in people with dementia.​ Method ​​A literature review was implemented in accordance with Friberg's method description. Eleven original articles were included from the databases CINAHL and PubMed using the keywords Dementia, Anxiety, Agitation, Music and Music therapy. Results ​​The results are reported in two categories. In one category, it was seen that music effectively reduces anxiety and agitation in people with dementia. In the second category, it was seen that the music also reduced depression, irritability, aggression, restlessness, hallucinations and delirium and improved memory, well-being, sleep quality, cognition and language skills in people with dementia. Conclusions ​​Through person-centered care where individual preferences are taken into account, good care can be achieved with good results. It is the care provider’s responsibility to offer good care where the patient’s autonomy, participation and integrity are included and taken into account. The studies showed that music significantly reduces anxiety and worry in people with dementia.​ / Bakgrund ​​Demens är en progressiv sjukdom som främst drabbar äldre i Sverige, och den påverkar hjärnans funktioner vilket leder till en försämrad motorisk, fysisk och kognitiv förmåga. Ångest och oro hos personer med demenssjukdom är ofta kopplade till minskad självständighet, hinder i utförandet av dagliga aktiviteter och beteendemässiga problem. Huvudbehandlingen av demenssjukdom går ut på att ge kvalificerad och professionell omvårdnad.​ Syfte ​​Syftet var att belysa effekten av musik som omvårdnadsåtgärd vid ångest och oro hos personer med demenssjukdom.​ Metod ​​En litteraturöversikt genomfördes i enlighet med Fribergs metodbeskrivning. Elva originalartiklar inkluderades från databaserna CINAHL och PubMed med hjälp av sökorden Dementia, Anxiety, Agitation, Music och Music therapy.​ Resultat ​​Resultatet redovisas i två kategorier. I den ena kategorin såg man att musiken effektivt reducerar ångest och oro hos personer med demenssjukdom. I den andra kategorin såg man att musiken även minskade depressioner, irritabilitet, aggressivitet, rastlöshet, hallucinationer och delirium samt förbättrade minnet, välbefinnandet, sömnkvalitet, kognitionen och språkförmågan hos personer med demenssjukdom. Slutsats Genom en personcentrerad vård där individuella preferenser beaktas kan man uppnå en god vård med goda resultat. Det är vårdgivarens ansvar att erbjuda en god vård där patientens autonomi, delaktighet och integritet inkluderas och beaktas. I studierna såg man att musiken märkbart reducerar ångest och oro hos personer med demenssjukdom.