Creativity, identity and healing: participants' accounts of music therapy in cancer care

Abstract

a b s t r a c t This article reports on fi ndings from a study of the accounts of people participating in music therapy as part of a programme of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in supportive cancer care. The article outlines the perceived effects of music therapy, which shares many characteristics with CAM therapies as well as offering a distinct contribution as a creative therapy. Hence in this article we draw on theories and writings from the sociology of CAM as well as those relating to music, healing and aesthetics in order to explore participants' accounts. The importance of identity and the role of creativity in processes of individuation are key themes emerging from the analysis.While music and creativity are often seen uncritically as resources for health and well-being, we draw attention to the challenges and complexity of diverse responses to music, framed by personal biographies that are in turn often situated within socially constructed notions of aesthetics. We argue that in research on music therapy, as well as other CAM therapies, issues of identity can be key to an understanding of questions of therapeutic impact.

Terapi Musik Kognitif Perilaku Untuk Menurunkan Kecemasan Pada Penderita Tekanan Darah Tinggi

“…Pedoman observasi dan wawancara mengacu pada beberapa sumber (Daykin, McClean, & Bunt, 2007;Djohan, 2006;Hawton, et al, 1993;McCaffrey, & Good, 2000;Picot, Salem, Chin, Picot, & Lane, 2000). Tugas rumah subjek adalah mendengarkan musik dan menuliskan pengalamannya pada buku tugas rumah (Bertini, 2001;Hanser, 1990).…”

“…Pedoman tahapan terapi musik kognitif perilaku disusun oleh peneliti mengacu dari beberapa sumber (Abrams, 2001;Baker, et al, 2007;Dijkstra, & Hakvoort, 2004;Daykin, McClean, & Bunt, 2007;Djohan, 2006;Greenberger, & Padesky, 1995;Hanser, 1990;McBride, Graydon, Sidani, e Hall, 1999;McCaffrey, & Good, 2000;Pandic, et al, 2008;Register, & Hilliard, 2008;Stallard, 2005;Sundar, 2006). Pertimbangan ahli juga digunakan sebagai bahan masukan.…”

Identity and self-esteem in the context of music and music therapy: a review

“…3. Exploratory research Daykin et al (2007) continued analyzing the relationship between autobiographical and aesthetic elements. The study once again undertook the problem of personal development associated with aesthetic functions of music and characteristics of musical activities.…”

“…We included types of participants with the following problems/diagnosis: adjustment reaction (Henderson, 1983), lacking crucial self-esteem and self-concept (Haines, 1989), severe learning disabilities (Pavlicevic et al, 2014), problems due to fear, depression, and low self-esteem (Wu, 2002), low self-esteem and high academic stress (Sharma & Jagdev, 2012), adolescents who had been sexually abused in the past (Clendenon-Wallen, 1991), prisoners (Chen et al, 2016), severe mental illness (Grocke et al, 2014), depression of various degrees of severity and schizophrenia (Hanser & Thompson, 1994), an adult woman who had problems in finding her personal identity and suffered badly from grief, low self-esteem, and feelings of depression (Smeijsters & van den Hurk, 1999), patients diagnosed with cancer (Daykin et al, 2007), multiple sclerosis (Aldridge et al, 2005), and dissociative identity disorder (Gleadhill & Ferris, 2010). In summary, 5 trials included children up to 18 years old, and 6 concerned adults.…”

“…The final sample included 9 studies of intervention effects (Aldridge et al, 2005;Chen, Hannibal, & Gold, 2016;Clendenon-Wallen, 1991;Grocke et al, 2014;Haines, 1989;Hanser & Thompson, 1994;Henderson, 1983;Sharma & Jagdev, 2012;Wu, 2002), 1 case study (Smeijsters & van den Hurk, 1999), 2 exploratory studies (Daykin, McClean, & Bunt, 2007;Pavlicevic, O'Neil, Powell, Jones, & Sampathianaki, 2014) and 2 theoretical articles (Amir, 2012;Gleadhill & Ferris, 2010). Sample sizes ranged from 1 (Smeijsters & van den Hurk, 1999) to 200 (Chen et al, 2016).…”