TY - JOUR
T1 - Developing consensus description of group music therapy characteristics for persons with dementia
AU - Janus, Sarah I. M.
AU - Vink, Annemieke C.
AU - Ridder, Hanne Mette Ochsner
AU - Geretsegger, Monika
AU - Stige, Brynjulf
AU - Gold, Christian
AU - Zuidema, Sytse U.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Introduction: Group music therapy (GMT) represents a promising person- centered approach facilitating emotional and social interaction and alleviating behavioral and psychological symptoms in people with dementia. The aim of this study is to produce a consensus statement that can inform provision of and research on person-centered group music therapy (GMT) for persons with dementia.
Method: We used a Delphi consensus procedure of two iterations in which music therapists rated their agreement with predefined statements about descriptions of GMT in structured questionnaires. Music therapists from eight countries (Austria, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and UK) participated in the Delphi iterations.
Results: In the first iteration 57 music therapists participated and 34 in the second iteration. Consensus was reached on 75 out of 91 statements covering five themes: (1) People who can benefit from GMT, (2) Short and long-term goals, (3) Therapy frame & Assessment (4) Therapeutic approaches within GMT and (5) Therapists’ qualities and attitudes.
Discussion: This consensus statement provides therapists and researchers with prac-tical information to which music therapists agree on an international level. It may serve as a foundation for developing more extensive and in-depth guidelines and fidelity measures. The statements underlinethat the music therapist must adapt therapy to the needs and wishes of persons with dementia, which can be seen in the consensus statements about group size, group dynamics, distractions and inter-ruptions during the therapy.
AB - Introduction: Group music therapy (GMT) represents a promising person- centered approach facilitating emotional and social interaction and alleviating behavioral and psychological symptoms in people with dementia. The aim of this study is to produce a consensus statement that can inform provision of and research on person-centered group music therapy (GMT) for persons with dementia.
Method: We used a Delphi consensus procedure of two iterations in which music therapists rated their agreement with predefined statements about descriptions of GMT in structured questionnaires. Music therapists from eight countries (Austria, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and UK) participated in the Delphi iterations.
Results: In the first iteration 57 music therapists participated and 34 in the second iteration. Consensus was reached on 75 out of 91 statements covering five themes: (1) People who can benefit from GMT, (2) Short and long-term goals, (3) Therapy frame & Assessment (4) Therapeutic approaches within GMT and (5) Therapists’ qualities and attitudes.
Discussion: This consensus statement provides therapists and researchers with prac-tical information to which music therapists agree on an international level. It may serve as a foundation for developing more extensive and in-depth guidelines and fidelity measures. The statements underlinethat the music therapist must adapt therapy to the needs and wishes of persons with dementia, which can be seen in the consensus statements about group size, group dynamics, distractions and inter-ruptions during the therapy.
KW - Psychosocial therapy
KW - music therapists
KW - person-centered
U2 - 10.1080/08098131.2020.1779790
DO - 10.1080/08098131.2020.1779790
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0809-8131
SP - 1
EP - 17
JO - Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
JF - Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
ER -