Studies have demonstrated that positive psychological well-being positively influences survival rates across both healthy and diseased populations, suggesting that enhancing the well-being of individuals and communities could serve as an effective health promotion strategy. Alongside traditional treatment, researchers advocate for increased investment in mental health promotion and protection to boost overall well-being. Seligman’s PERMA model, which includes Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment, contributes to this well-being by providing a framework for a flourishing life. Additionally, the significant role of music in promoting well-being and health is widely acknowledged, music therapy has the potential to be a unique and rich treatment approach to address diverse mental health problems in a range of populations. The purpose of this study was to better understand the PERMA model as a theoretical framework for promoting well-being with well adults in group music therapy (GMT). This study employed a convergent mixed-methods design, which allowed the researcher to independently collect, analyze, and compare both qualitative and quantitative data. A total of 30 participants from Minzu University of China were recruited and randomly assigned into experimental or control group. The quantitative phase utilized a pre-post test with an experimental group and a control group who received a briefer version of the intervention at the end of the study. Well-being and mental health were measured for all participants at two timepoints: before and after the PERMA-GMT intervention. The General Health Questionnaire-12 and the PERMA-Profiler scale were used to measure changes in well-being and mental health. The quantitative findings revealed that, after eight weeks of group intervention, the experimental group exhibited significant improvements in well-being. Compared to the control group, which did not receive any interventions, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in Positive Emotion (p<.001), Engagement (p<.05), Meaning (p<.01), Happiness (p<.01), Health (p<.01), and overall Well-being (p<.001). Additionally, it experienced reductions in Loneliness(p<.001) and Negative Emotion(p<.01). The experimental group also experienced a significant improvement in their mental health (p<.01) compared to the control group. In the qualitative process, the experiences of PERMA-GMT was explored using semi-structured interviews with 10 participants of the experimental group. In terms of qualitative results, the data indicated that music therapy activities impacted the participants of the experimental group in various degrees across different dimensions of PERMA. These include Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment, which collectively contribute to enhanced mental health and well-being. Additionally, the PERMA-GMT approach significantly boosted Happiness, reduces Loneliness, and mitigated Negative Emotion, indicating its comprehensive benefits for well-being. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data found that the qualitative insights confirmed and expanded the quantitative results. The study ultimately confirms that group music therapy interventions based on the PERMA theory are feasible in enhancing well adults’ sense of well-being, which in turn may significantly improved their mental health status. The results offered robust evidence for the efficacy of music therapy in the prevention and intervention of adult mental health issues. / Music Therapy

Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide, due to an interruption of blood flow to the brain, which ultimately results in necrotic cell death. This pathological cascade has ramifications in neurological motor, sensory, and behavior deficits. Recent research has used a therapeutic application of music as a vehicle to improve motor function of post-stroke patients. Music-supported therapy is a newer class of music therapy that works to improve motor function through a standardized program of keyboard and drum exercises, and it is continuing to be integrated into the field of rehabilitation. This study aims to search areas of music-based interventions, such as music-supported therapy (MST) and patterned sensory enhancement (PSE). A meta-analysis examined the effect of music-based interventions on rehabilitating the upper extremity of post-stroke patients. Comprehensive literature searches of multiple websites from their inception to November 2023 were performed. A total of 8 studies (10 analyses, 261 participants) were included, and all had acceptable quality according to the PEDro scale. Motor function outcome measures were used to evaluate the results of the intervention and were taken both before and following the intervention. The studies underwent sub-analyses using a standard mean difference in the change from baseline and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for analysis. Two motor function outcomes, the Box and Block Test and the Nine-Hole Peg Test, were statistically significant. The results of this study indicated a positive effect of music-applied therapies, supporting the further incorporation of integrative therapies in stroke-related rehabilitative care.

abstract: ABSTRACT A survey of board-certified music therapists who identified themselves as self-employed was conducted to examine current methods of marketing related to planning, positioning, promotion, and implementation within a music therapy private practice or contracting model, as well as identify trends in marketing methods as compared to prior research. Respondents (n=273) provided data via online survey as to current marketing practices, assessment of personal marketing skills, and views on marketing's overall role in their businesses. Historical, qualitative, and quantitative distinctions were developed through statistical analysis as to the relationship between respondents' views and current marketing practices. Results show that self-employed music therapists agree marketing is a vital part of their business and that creating a unique brand identity is necessary to differentiate oneself from the competition. A positive correlation was identified between those who are confident in their marketing skills and the dollar amount of rates charged for services. Presentations, websites, and networking were regarded as the top marketing vehicles currently used to garner new business, with a trend towards increased use of social media as a potential marketing avenue. Challenges for respondents appear to include the creation and implementation of written marketing plans and maintaining measurable marketing objectives. Barriers to implementation may include confidence in personal marketing skills, time required, and financial constraints. The majority of respondents agreed that taking an 8-hour CMTE course regarding marketing methods for self-employed music therapists would be beneficial. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.M. Music Therapy 2014

This research study explored the impact of group music therapy at a school for intellectually impaired learners in Namibia. The research project generated qualitative data through individual interviews of two teachers at a school for intellectually impaired learners. Interviews were conducted with each teacher before and after participating in ten group music therapy sessions with their learners. The data was compared and discussed in terms of the teachers’ experience of the impact of group music therapy on (i) their perceptions of their learners and how this influenced their teaching approach, and (ii) their perception of music therapy as a profession. Results generated from the interviews indicated that, through participation in music therapy sessions, learners experienced and explored their individual capabilities through the medium of music. Teachers observed their learners’ potential in new areas and in this way obtained a more holistic view of their learners. As a result of noting learners’ diverse abilities, teachers also adapted their teaching approaches to work in a more learner-centred way. This complemented their classroom approach based on the Namibian educational policy of learner-centred education in which learners’ individual competencies are to be developed, requiring teachers’ sensitivity towards their learners’ needs and abilities. Findings of this study further indicated a more in-depth understanding of music therapy as an intervention by the teachers after participating in sessions with their learners. This suggests that first-hand experience provides an effective way of understanding the music therapy profession and the possibilities that it may hold in a special school for intellectually impaired learners. Findings further highlighted some challenges that may need to be overcome when implementing a music therapy programme in a special school. Copyright / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Music / unrestricted

This study explored the process of negotiating music therapy in a community based setting known as The Potter’s House. The Potter’s House was established fourteen years ago as the first non-racial shelter for battered and destitute women and their children in the city of Pretoria. Furthermore, the study considers Community Music Therapy as a possible frame for music therapy practice in South Africa. The study was conducted according to a qualitative research paradigm. Three data collection sources were used to gather information about the way in which music therapy was negotiated at The Potter’s House. Data collection was in the form of interviews (conducted with the manager of The Potter’s House and the music therapy participants) as well as clinical session notes. The aim of the interviews was to explore members’ experiences and views of the music therapy process. The clinical session notes include significant information that relates to my own reflections and experiences of the music therapy process. This study seems to highlight certain factors that appear prominent in the process of negotiating music therapy in this specific shelter for battered women and their children. These factors and how they were negotiated seem to emphasize the value of a Community Music Therapy framework in the shelter context. The study further suggests that Community Music Therapy could be utilized more broadly in the South African context. / Mini Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Music / MMus / Unrestricted

The first night effect (FNE) has been described as a phenomenon that affects sleep quality as measured by objective parameters by polysomnography (PSG) tests that show decreased sleep efficiency, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, total sleep time and increased sleep latencies and REM latencies. Music therapy has been an effective tool in treating anxiety in a number of patient populations as well as helping patients improve sleep quality when measured by questionnaires administered pre and post intervention. It is hypothesized that music therapy may help alleviate the FNE by improving sleep quality and the current study investigates this music intervention by observing objective parameters through PSG. A total of ninety-eight subjects completed the study of determining effectiveness of intervention in a recently constructed sleep laboratory at Boston Medical Center. Results have shown that there are no significant improvements in the sleep parameters investigated: sleep latency, sleep efficient, non-REM sleep, REM sleep, REM latency, time spent awake after initial sleep onset, arousal index, and total sleep time in the total population examined. Men and subjects that did not receive night-time respiratory treatments showed longer REM latencies when an intervention was involved. At this time, there is no reason to suggest that music therapy can help improve sleep quality on the first night in sleep laboratories when sleep quality is assessed using objective parameters. Further studies investigating anxiety levels and looking at particular patient populations on the first night pre and post music intervention may help determine the true efficacy of music intervention in helping lessen the FNE.

Motor deficits in children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have started to become recognized as an area of concern. The purpose of this study was to examine practices of board-certified music therapists who address motor goals of children with ASD. A total of 168 current board certified music therapists completed an 18-item online survey regarding music therapy practices with children who have ASD, particularly the frequency with which they address motor goals and specific goals and interventions. Respondents reported addressing motor goals with children who have ASD more frequently than suggested by previous research. Motor goals most commonly addressed include imitation, upper limb coordination, hand/eye coordination, compliance, and praxis skills. The most common interventions used to address motor goals were instrument play, movement activities, dancing, using manipulatives, and task-oriented music games. Using information provided from the study, music therapists will be better equipped in helping children with ASD who have motor deficits by providing a list of commonly used interventions and which specific motor goals they are used most commonly with.

As a result of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, most children with disabilities in the US are now educated in schools with their typically developing peers. Although many of these children are in elementary schools (VanWeelden & Whipple, 2014) there is little empirical research that informs educational practice in elementary music classrooms (Jellison & Draper, in press). This dissertation comprises an observational study of the behavior of children with disabilities in inclusive music classrooms and their opportunities to practice their Individual Education Program (IEP) goals, and guidelines for conducting research with children with disabilities in inclusive elementary music classes. In the observational study I describe the opportunities for nine students with disabilities (Specific Learning Disabilities and/or Speech or Language Impairments) to engage in behaviors related to objectives defined in their IEPs in four inclusive music classrooms in relation to the music activities in which the children participated (e.g., singing, playing instruments) and instructional formats of the class (e.g., whole class, small groups, pairs). A further goal was to identify students’ participation and peer interactions. Results indicated that music theory and other music knowledge activities provided opportunities for students to engage in behaviors related to their IEP objectives. Opportunities for individual responses (verbal/nonverbal and music) and music performances were rare, but when students responded they were most often accurate. Students were most often on-task, particularly when engaged in music making activities, and they interacted with peers when assigned to work in groups and also when interactions were extemporaneous. I developed guidelines for future research based on my experiences conducting the study, and I discuss the challenges of identifying schools, classrooms, and participants; obtaining formal consent; developing the methodology (research questions, variables, operational definitions, equipment and materials); analyzing and reporting results; and consulting with school personnel before, during, and following the completion of research. / text

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This qualitative study aims to explore the parents’ or other family members’ experiences in participating in music therapy sessions with their children with special needs. This aim leads to three research questions which were; 1) Can music therapy help to achieve aims set out for individual children with special needs and their parents or other family members 2) What are the functions of music therapy in nurturing communication between the parents or other family members and their children? and 3) How can the music therapist develop ways in which parents or other family members can use music to help their children? Six children who are attending the Special Education Centre, region 9 in Thailand, aged four to twelve years old with their family members who are their primary carers, participated in 24 music therapy sessions. Each session was videoed and the video recordings were discussed every two weeks with the carers. The carers were interviewed three times by the research assistants. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employ to evaluate data collected from interviews. Furthermore, there were two home visits, one after a month when the 24th session was finished and another visit was two months after the 24th session was finished. From the interview analysis, there are 28 themes under five categories namely: 1) The carers’ expectations of the music therapy 2) The carers’ experience of seeing their children in the music therapy sessions 3) The carers’ experiences of seeing themselves in the sessions 4) The carers’ experiences of reviewing the video recordings from the music therapy sessions and 5) The carers’ experiences of using music at home. It can be summarised that music therapy made a positive impact on the children and their carers. The finding highlighted how the music therapy enhanced the social and communication skills of the children. Moreover, involving the carers in the sessions enabled the carers to have positive experiences with their children and these experiences led the carers to see and interact with their children differently. The findings suggest the ways to work with the carers in a therapeutic process and how to encourage the carers to use music at home with their children.