Music therapy's relevance in a cancer hospital researched through a constructivist lens.
The constructivist research paradigm informed a research investigation on the relevance of music therapy in a cancer hospital, that is, what did the music therapy do and did it help? Over 3 months, criterion sampling was used to elicit interpretations in 5 studies from 5 sources: 128 patients who participated, 27 patients who overheard or witnessed music therapy, 41 visitors, 61 staff, and the music therapist-researcher. Fifty-seven percent of the patients who participated had advanced or end stage cancer. The music therapist's interpretations were recorded in a reflexive clinical journal and the respondents' interpretations were written on anonymous open-ended questionnaires. Thematic and content analyses were performed on the 5 groups of data with the support of qualitative data management software. Findings from the 5 data groups were contrasted and compared. Many patients', visitors' and staff members' affective, contemplative, and imagined moments in music therapy affirmed their "aliveness," resonating with an expanded consciousness, in a context where life's vulnerability is constantly apparent. Philosophical depictions about the relevance of music in human life, including theories by Addis and Winnicott, substantiated the therapeutic reactions.
O'Callaghan
Clare
C
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
McDermott
Fiona
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors