Suitability for music therapy: Evaluating music therapy as an indicated treatment in psychiatry

This article examines the question of indication for music therapy treatment in a psychiatric hospital. How can the relevance of a music therapeutic treatment in psychiatry be evaluated? In what sense can a definition of indication be usable? The discussion centres on reconsidering criteria for indication, as previously defined in documentation at the Music Therapy Clinic at Aalborg Psychiatric Hospital. The importance of evaluating the assessment phase in accordance with specific criteria is emphasised, while at the same time staying open and committed to each new patient admitted. An interactive point of view is considered essential in the complex evaluation of suitability for music therapy.