The effect of a group music intervention for grief resolution on disenfranchised grief of hospice workers

Abstract

Unresolved disenfranchised grief is a contributing factor in occupational stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue in hospice workers; yet, to date, there have been no studies that have investigated group music therapy as an intervention for grief resolution for this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a single-session group music intervention for grief resolution (GMI-GR) on feelings of disenfranchised grief as experienced by hospice workers. A secondary purpose was to determine if the GMI-GR could have a significant positive effect on hospice workers' risk for burnout and compassion fatigue, as well as perceptions of work environment 1 month after participation. Study participants (N = 68) were hospice employees who experienced direct patient contact as part of their job. This study used a quasi-experimental design with participants randomly assigned by group. Experimental group participants received an hour-long GMI-GR and control group participants received no intervention. The primary study finding was a significant pre- to post-condition decline for GMI-GR participants on the subscale measure personal sacrifice burden and a non-significant reduction for feelings of burden. There were no significant differences for secondary measures of burnout, compassion fatigue, or perceived work environment 30 days post-condition. Thematic analysis of participant-written songs and messages to patients revealed recurring themes that pertained to both negative and positive aspects of hospice work. The results of this study suggest that a GMI-GR may be an effective intervention for reducing personal sacrifice burden felt by hospice workers.