Search

Objective: To critically examine the self-report measures most commonly used in Australian mental health research in the last 10 years., Method: A critical interpretive synthesis was conducted using seven outcome measures that were identified as most popular in 43 studies from three mental health journals., Results: Results suggest that the amount and type of language used in outcome measures is important in both increasing the accuracy of the data collected and fostering positive experiences of data collection for participants., Conclusions: Results indicate that many of the measures most often used in Australian mental health research may not align with the current contemporary philosophy of mental health clinical practice in Australia., (© The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.)

A small number of papers indicate that music therapists are interested in how their work is perceived by other healthcare professionals. The research reported in this paper examined assumptions and expectations of music therapy by mental health professionals in order to understand better how music therapists might use effective strategies to empower greater knowledge of their practice and services. We conducted semi-structured interviews with seven clinical staff members of an acute mental health facility that did not have music therapy. Data were analyzed via the six phases of thematic analysis. Member checking and trustworthiness were also used. Guided by the interplay between the user, music, and music therapist that conceptualizes music therapy, we identified five emerging themes concerning assumptions and expectations of music therapy: 1) the client – potential benefits to service users, perceptions of the appropriate service user ‘type;’ 2) the music therapist – unawareness of the music therapy as an established profession with required training and skills; 3) the music – types of music ideal for therapeutic impact; 4) music therapy – treatment expectations; and 5) the context – music therapy would augment and complement existing psychosocial treatment programming. Participants tended to be unfamiliar with most aspects of music therapy and continued education and advocacy are warranted. Emerging themes can provide a framework for information to be included within educational in-services. Suggestions for future research, limitations, and implications for music therapists are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music therapy has previously been identified as a way to foster processes of mental health recovery. However, little is known about the specific factors apparent in group singing which can promote recovery. The current project aimed to address this gap by exploring the conditional and contextual factors involved in group singing which may promote recovery for people with mental illness. Adults who were in mental health recovery were recruited from a number of different singing groups in inpatient and community mental health contexts around Melbourne, Australia. Twenty-three people participated in interviews, and a grounded theory approach was adopted for analysis. The findings of this study are presented as a grounded theory of group singing which describes how participants experienced triggering encounters with music, and used the supportive conditions of the group singing context to regain a sense of health. A new term, musical recovery, was developed which depicts a process of regaining healthy relationships with music to promote mental health recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Using music therapy as a resource for restoring healthy relationships with music during mental health recovery," by Jennifer Bibb is presented.