The Development of a Research Design to Assess the Effects of Individual Music Therapy with Mentally Ill Children and Adolescents

Abstract

This paper introduces a research design to measure effects of individual music therapy with mentally ill children and adolescents on symptoms, competencies, and quality of life. In a pilot project, seven children (five boys and two girls, 4 to 11 years of age) who suffered from various mental and behavioural problems were assessed. Five children received music therapy, and two did not. The two groups were compared with regard to the kind and severity of their problems. The main therapeutic aspects of music therapy were the children s needs for relationship and presence and opportunities for emotional expression. At post–treatment, the children who received music therapy were improved in all three outcome domains. Through the pilot study, the sensitivity and relevance of the instruments and the feasibility of a parallel no–treatment control group could be confirmed, and further details of the research design could be clarified. The results support the continuation of this research with a larger sample.