Music in Seclusion Rooms–Development, Implementation, and Initial Testing of a Music Listening Device

Abstract

Although presented as a care measure, the use of seclusion rooms (SR) is controversial for both ethical and therapeutic reasons. Given that music seems to have a positive impact on psychiatric patients, offering them the possibility of listening to music in SRs might help to improve their care dimension. This study aimed to develop, implement and test a musical listening device that would be completely at patients' disposal, easy to use and beneficial to the quality of care provided in SRs. Over a twelve-week period, interviews were conducted with nurses (N=6) caring for patients placed in an equipped SR. The music player was user friendly, encouraged patients to make choices and decisions, helping them to regain control over themselves and their behavior, and elicited various patient-nurse interactions, thus contributing to the establishment of a caring relation. Further research is warranted to examine whether the systematic use of the music player has an impact on the subjective experience of both patients and caregivers, and on daily ward routine.

Are principles of recovery-oriented practice evident in staff and service user perspectives on seclusion?

“…They suggest that revised practices could support the partial reconciliation of seclusion and recovery, where the seclusion is deemed necessary. For example, some recent research suggests that seclusion rooms could be redesigned to make them actively soothing and therapeutic, rather than principally containment spaces (Güsewell et al , 2019; van der Venne et al , 2021). Overall, the findings suggest that in the absence of system-wide changes in AMH services, calls for the complete elimination of seclusion and strict adherence to a recovery model could be somewhat idealistic for some settings.…”

Innovation et intervention sociales

“…Concernant les musiques proposées, l'équipe de recherche a fait le choix de mettre à disposition des patient•e•s une sélection de morceaux qui ne leur sont pas forcément familiers (Güsewell et al 2019). L'hypothèse sous-jacente était qu'une musique inconnue peut encourager une écoute ouverte et attentive, permettant aux patient•e•s de se reconnecter à leur état affectif.…”

“…recherche-action » (2012-2016) qui visait à repenser les soins dans les CSI grâce à l'apport de la musique(Bovet et al 2015 ;Güsewell et al 2019) 2 . En effet, le recours à l'écoute musicale semble être une piste porteuse pour réduire le sentiment de solitude et d'abandon des patient•e•s, et pour leur permettre de retrouver une certaine autonomie…”

Music and Emotions - A tool to create new playlists for a musical listening device in seclusion rooms in psychiatric hospitals

“…The kTell music-listening device is a product of the AMENHOTEP research project (2012-2016) which aimed to rethink care in ICUs through the contribution of music [6]. kTell is a technical device that enables patients in a psychiatric hospital to listen to music during their isolation in an intensive care unit (ICU).…”