Download Understanding the experience of group music therapy for women

Dr Stephanie Thompson
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Music Therapy is an evidence-based
intervention. It is undertaken by a qualified
music therapist who seeks through the
planned use of creative music to facilitate
positive changes in the psychological,
physical, cognitive, or social functioning of
individuals with health or emotional
problems.
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To understand the quality of the experience
of music therapy for women with breast
cancer.
Mixed method design: embed qualitative
component within a quantitative study
Pre and Post test design: 17 patients were
allocated to a music therapy group.
 4 groups, 3-5 people in each.
 No one withdrew from the study.
 Patients will received weekly group music
therapy sessions over 6 weeks lasting for 60
minutes.
 1 hour focus groups were conducted on
completion of the interventions.
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Song choice/song singing
Improvisations
Original songs (songwriting)
Focus groups - post intervention
Decision Tree
Therapist’s notes
Therapist’s diary entries
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Analysis: Descriptive Phenomenology
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Music Therapy
Songwriting
Improvisation
Music listening
Music and imagery
Song singing
Music listening and
visualisation
Psychotherapeutic
 Solution Oriented Brief
Therapy
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Client Centred Therapy
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Psychodynamic
Therapy
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‘there is nothing in the nature of the
phenomenological approach that confines it
to isolated practice’ Spiegelberg (1975, p. 25)
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Bradley Jones, Sambrook & Irvine (2009) conclude that
phenomenology and focus groups are advantageous
because they:
Generate discussion
Provide cross checking and clarification
Validate points
Enrich the data through interaction
Provide opportunities to hear other peoples stories, and
participants can add their own perspective
Offer time for reflection while others are speaking, prior to
adding their own contribution
Individual essences can still be preserved within the group
Bradley Jones, C., Sambrook, S, & Irvine, F. (2009). The phenomenological focus
group: and oxymoron? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1, 663-670.
transcripts were read many times to capture the tenor and
experience
 significant phrases and sentences were highlighted
 meaning units from each participant’s transcript were formulated
 individual essences for each participant were generated from a
distillation of their corresponding meaning units
 member checking of the distilled essences for verification
 transcripts for each group were re-read and a horizonal distillation
process for each group took place. This involved identifying similar
meaning units which were common across the group and forming
composite categories
 a second verification process took place whereby the underlined
transcripts, meaning units and distilled essences were sent to
another researcher for verification
Grocke and Forniash (2007)
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Verification was received from 12 of the
women
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1 woman had moved
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1 woman had died
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Eager to tell me what was happening for
them, and how they were
Music was heard and appreciated differently
The sessions allowed reflection
Playing the chord harp was a voyage of
discovery
Songwriting, listening to songs and singing were
very moving experiences
Confusion over the questionnaires
Challenging moments
Not enough time and there were too few people
Sharing experiences
The feeling endured
Appreciation of the music therapist
It was a special space
The sessions allowed reflection
Wanting To Join a Choir
The Need to Discuss the Effects of Treatment
Silence of Breast Cancer
The Impact on Others of the Diagnosis
Seeing the Funny Side
It was a Dual Process Coping with Many Things
Travelling Similar but Different Paths
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“…this is one little part of our lives and yet
qualitatively it’s a lovely part. When you are doing all
sorts of other things, both medically and other, it can
be very significant; I don’t know the measures will tell
you that. It’s a very different experience to any of the
other experiences this breast cancer thing has
brought upon me. It does feel sustaining; it does feel
it’s added something to my life. It’s given me as
awareness of my own feelings and other people’s
feelings; it’s given me a group experience which I’ve
enjoyed.”