title: Impact of music therapy to promote positive parenting and child development.
abstract: The effectiveness of a 10-week group music therapy program for marginalized parents and their children aged 0-5 years was examined. Musical activities were used to promote positive parent-child relationships and children's behavioral, communicative and social development. Participants were 358 parents and children from families facing social disadvantage, young parents or parents of a child with a disability. Significant improvements were found for therapist-observed parent and child behaviors, and parent-reported irritable parenting, educational activities in the home, parent mental health and child communication and social play skills. This study provides evidence of the potential effectiveness of music therapy for early intervention.
authors: Griffith University, Australia. jan.nicholson@mcri.edu.au
authors: Jan M
authors: JM
authors: Nicholson
authors: Donna
authors: D
authors: Berthelsen
authors: Vicky
authors: V
authors: Abad
authors: Kate
authors: K
authors: Williams
authors: Julie
authors: J
authors: Bradley
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009147:Music Therapy; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012951:Socialization; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*