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.
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
Clare
C
O'Callaghan
Fiona
F
McDermott
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