Music Therapy For Healthcare Intervention In Criminal Setting

Music Therapy in a Criminal Setting

Discuss about the Music Therapy for Healthcare Intervention.

Music therapy refers to a healthcare intervention in which music therapists apply the use of medically approved music in delivering care to the patients. For quality delivery, the music therapists should be well trained and licensed by the relevant authorities. Music therapy is not an alternative form of medicine, but a multidimensional intervention suitable for a wide range of patients including prisoners, students, or mentally-ill patients of all ages (Chen, Leith, Aarø, Manger & Gold 2016). This is necessary because music therapy has been found to be an effective expressive therapy that has been playing a significant role in safeguarding the patients’ mental, social and physical needs.

When delivering music therapies, a therapy can organize for individual or group sessions in which the patients are expected to participate by singing, listening, dancing, or playing instruments that are of interest to them. During individual therapy, each patient is given an opportunity to rely on the therapist to learn the expected skills (Loewy, Stewart, Dassler, Telsey & Homel 2013). On the other hand, group therapy is designed to serve certain groups of patients who are expected to be guided by a therapist in using music to meet identified needs. Evidence shows that the use of music therapy in the prisons has been so successful. Its use in the criminal settings has helped in helping the inmates to deal with many challenges that affect them on day-to-day basis thanks to the efforts of music therapists who have been guided by the principle of professionalism and prioritized the interests of the patients in discharging their duties.  

Research has established that music therapy can be quite effective in the criminal setting. For very years, music therapy has been a popular intervention in many prisons. Its use has been receiving much support because of the following benefits:

First, music therapy has been playing a significant role in enabling the prisoners to reduce stress. It is a common knowledge that prisoners are ordinary people who have been thrown into jail for one reason or the other. The conditions of living, treatment, type of food eaten, seclusion, and isolation from their family members and friends cause a lot of stress to the prisoners. Very many inmates get depressed because they are deprived of the fundamental rights such as freedom of movement, speech, and association that are guaranteed by the constitution. Therefore, to help the inmates address such stressful feelings; they can be offered a music therapy (Ueda, Suzukamo, Sato & Izumi 2013). As an entertaining intervention, music therapy can make it much easier for the inmates to minimize the rate of stress. This is why it has been in use in many prisons in which the inmates are expected to forget about their worries and accept to lead a stress-free life just like the rest of the people in the society. The relieving of stress can be a major milestone in the rehabilitation of inmates. Once they are freed from the yoke of trauma, the inmates can get to identify the realities of life, gain self-awareness and acceptance.  

Effectiveness

Secondly, music therapy can be effective in the prison setting because it can give the inmates an opportunity to eradicate the problem of loneliness. Loneliness is a reality that many prisoners have to reckon with. Although all prisoners feel lonely, the degree of loneliness may worsen depending on the type of sentence a prisoner is serving. Offenders convicted for capital offenses such as murder, robbery with violence and terrorism might be put in isolation. This can make them to be lonely hopeless inmates who feel that they are not needed in the society. Indeed, such a challenge of loneliness can be addressed by using music therapy. When the therapists opt for a group music therapy, the inmates can come together and enjoy the therapy as a group (Ueda, Suzukamo, Sato & Izumi 2013). This can enable them to interact with one another, build cordial relationships with the therapists and fellow inmates as they get to sing and listen to sweet melodious songs of their choice. However, if left to wallow in perpetual loneliness, the inmates lose their social skills and end up becoming antisocial people who can no longer cope up with life out of prison.

Thirdly, music therapy can be of great value in the prisons because it can help in addressing the problem of addiction. Despite the fact that not all inmates are jailed for drug abuse, research has revealed that a large number of inmates are battling addiction. Meaning, addiction is one of the major challenges that the prison officers are expected to deal with. Prison setting can make inmates vulnerable to drug addiction because it provides a platform for addicts to interact with non-drug users who might end up getting swayed to drug abuse even after the end of the jail terms (Bunt & Hoskyns 2013). One of the proven ways to address addiction is by offering a well organized music therapy. Both individual and group music therapies can be invaluable assets in fighting drug addiction in the prison. Individual and group music therapies can give the inmate a chance to relax, get sensitized, and feel relieved. Through this, the inmates can get to know the dangers of drug addiction and the possible ways of stopping drug use. However, this can only be accomplished if the therapist organizes for a one-on-one session with the inmates and allows them to relax, enjoy music and meditate about the imminent challenge of drug addiction that has been troubling their lives.

Methodologies

In addition, music therapy, if properly utilized in the prison setting, can play a significant role in assisting the inmates to boost their emotional healings. A large number of prisoners do not have normal emotional feelings. It has been established that many prisoners do not cooperate because of the emotional challenges. Some of them find it hard to freely interact with their colleagues and prison officers because of their temperament (Zhou, Li, Li, Liu, Dang, Wang & Xin 2015). Highly emotional inmates are likely to physically or otherwise harm their fellow inmates or prison officers. Therefore, one intervention to use in dealing with this problem is music intervention. By 0rgaizing for periodical and well coordinated music therapy sessions, the inmates can be empowered to be in control over their emotions. Through the support of the therapists, the inmates can rely on music to know everything about emotion, its control and management. For example, when given a chance to listen to soothing songs of their preference, the inmates can learn to be in control of the moods and thus refrain from habits that can make them to be emotionally-disturbed persons.  

Moreover, music therapy can be effective in correcting the behaviors of the inmates. When treating the inmates, the therapists do not only use music to entertain, but to instill acceptable and standard codes of behavior expected by the society. When a proper choice of the songs is done, inmates can get to learn about teachings on how to conduct themselves. Here, the inmates get to learn about virtues, manners, conducts and attributes to possess. In fact, music therapy can go a notch higher by enabling the inmates to listen to religious songs that can give them the necessary spiritual connection (Gold, Assmus, Hjørnevik, Qvale, Brown, Hansen, Waage & Stige 2014). Once this goal is achieved, the inmates can be effectively rehabilitated to be useful people whose conducts are accepted because they are in conformity to the expected standards. It is because of this reason that music therapy can be relied upon for correcting the behavior of the inmates by making them to be accepted by others. No one can be qualified as reformed if they cannot demonstrate any form of behavior change in conformity to the societal standards.

Last, but not least, music therapy can be a valuable tool in addressing the issues of the inmates cognitive development. Apart from helping the inmates to address their physical and social needs, music therapy can be a trusted tool in managing the mental development of the prisoners. The prevalence of mental illnesses has become so prevalent in the prisons since even sane inmates are highly vulnerable to mental disorders (Ueda, Suzukamo, Sato & Izumi 2013).  The hardships faced by the inmates definitely expose them to mental distresses. This is why experts argue that prison life makes it inevitable for the inmates to experience serious mental disorders like schizophrenia which require serious standard treatment that always lacks in the prisons. Therefore, one effective way of dealing with such challenges is providing a continuous one-on-one group and individual music therapy to the inmates. Music therapy has a relaxation and entertaining capabilities that makes it appropriate for meeting the inmates’ mental health.

Individual Music Therapy

Music therapy is one of the evidence-based interventions in the contemporary society. Its se has been proven to be useful in different settings. Apart from greatly contributing to the treatment of patients at the healthcare facilities, music therapy has been relied upon to address the needs of criminals. However, to be effective in reforming the inmates, music intervention has to be delivered by highly trained and experienced music therapies (Luik 2016). At the same time, there should be a proper choice of the methodology, model and approach to be adopted. However, this should be dictated by many factors such as the nature of the inmates and the level of needs which of course differ from one person to another.

For a very long time, music therapists have been engaged in delivering individual-based interventions to the inmates. Here, music therapy sessions are organized and provided to each prisoner. Individual music therapy is preferred because it treats each inmate as a unique person who has diverse needs to address. Therefore, the music therapists create enough time to design music sessions that suit them. Individual sessions can present a therapist with an ample opportunity to equip the inmates with effective social, motor, recreational, communication, and self-expression skills (Luik 2016). These are indeed capabilities that if acquired by the inmates, can enable them to reform and be in the right path of leading an acceptable life. Despite the length of the jail term one is serving, all inmates are expected to reform and go back to the society and lead a meaningful life. This is actually what music therapy can be preparing them during the entire period in the prisons.    

In order to successfully deliver individual music therapy, the sessions should be properly designed to suit each target client. After acknowledged individual differences in the inmates to be treated, the therapist should carry out extensive research t identify the most appropriate strategy to adopt. Meaning, the individual sessions should be as flexible as possible. To achieve this, the therapist might have to apply behavioral and cognitive models appropriate for each inmate. This is the only way through which the inmates can reap optimal benefit from the sessions. The therapist should provide a conducive and accommodative environment to enable the inmates to enjoy music by actively engaging in a series of activities (Bunt & Hoskyns 2013). So, apart from listening to music during the sessions, individual inmates should also sing, analyze song lyrics, dance, write songs, and participate in playing entertaining and thought-provoking musical instruments like guitar, and piano.  

All in all, music therapy is a better alternative to be relied upon in addressing the plight of the prisoners. Just in the healthcare setting, criminal institutions whose main responsibility is to rehabilitate convicted criminals can greatly benefit from music therapy. If appropriately utilized, music therapy can help the inmates to regain the lost identity and be in the right path of attaining a quality life. Prison life is more challenging than a civilian life in a free society in which everyone is free to exercise their freedom without any form of restriction (Bunt & Stige 2014). Apart from losing their freedom, inmates battle a series of mental disorders such as addiction, and trauma. All these are quite disturbing because they can make it hard for the inmate to cope up as expected. It is for this reason that music therapists utilize their time to professionally-handle inmates, to boost their communication, social skills, self-awareness and personal development as they prepare for a life after the prison.

Apart from organizing for individual music sessions, a therapist can adopt a group intervention in which the clients are divided into different groups based on their characteristics and needs. After the creation of groups, the therapist should go ahead to design music therapy sessions for each of them. From here, the therapist should be ready to start delivering quality interventions by allowing the inmates to listen to music, dance, meditate, compose songs and play musical instruments to help them in acquiring the necessary cognitive, motor, and social skills to enable them cope up with the challenges facing them in the prison. The active involvement of inmates in group therapy can be enhanced by the playing of background music, availing devices like iPods or inviting reputable musicians to perform live before the inmates (Odell-Miller 2016). Once all these are effectively done, no inmate can feel left out because through such sessions, they get a chance to enjoy, relax and get swayed away from depression and become socially-active.    

Research has proven that individual music therapy can be a fruitful intervention in the society. By offering a relaxing and entertaining scenario, group therapy can play a significant role in relieving the inmates unnecessary stressful and traumatizing feelings they might have. At the same time, since it creates a platform for many inmates to be together, it can boost the social interaction skills as well as eradicate the problem of loneliness that might has been proven to be posing a great challenge to the inmates (Gold, Assmus, Hjørnevik, Qvale, Brown, Hansen, Waage & Stige 2014). With a proper application of music therapy, this will become a thing of the past because inmates will no longer spend time worrying in seclusion, but come together to learn, get entertained, rehearse and share roles with one another. If properly utilized, group music therapy can be a very important strategy in enabling the inmates to be mentally, socially and physically healthy as well as be in the right path of adopting a crime-free life.

In a nutshell, music therapy can be of great value if delivered by trained and experienced music therapists. It is only such specialists who have a deeper understanding of the individual needs that should be met while the inmates are serving their jail terms. The other important determinant in the success of music therapy is the choice of intervention strategy. Basically, the therapist should deliver individual or group-based interventions in which the sessions are designed to suit respective target clients (Zhou, Li, Li, Liu, Dang, Wang & Xin 2015). Each of these strategies is good because, if properly used, they can help in meeting the diverse needs of the inmates. Whereas individual interventions should be designed for each inmate, group therapy should be developed and tailored towards meeting needs of group of inmates whose plights can be effectively addressed using music. Whichever strategy applied, the therapist should divide the therapy into short sessions in which the inmates are guided to continuously listen to, sing along, compose songs and play musical instruments.   

Music Database

Access all music here:

https://www.umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Search=pop&Where=Bands

A systematic review was conducted to review available resources on the effectiveness of music therapy in a prison setting. To do this, the researcher had to formulate all the relevant search words to use. The most relevant search words used are music therapy, music, therapy, prison setting, prison, setting, mental illnesses, stress, trauma and social interactions (Tuastad & O’Grady 2013). After entering these words, a total of 113 results were found. These were gotten from many sources including International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, American Journal of Psychiatry, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Australasian Psychiatry, European Psychiatry, International Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Evidence-Based Mental Health, and Current Psychiatry Reports. After considering the exclusion and inclusion criterion, decision was made to settle on ‘Music Therapy for Prisoners: Pilot Randomised controlled Trial and Implications for Evaluating Psychosocial Interventions.’

‘Music Therapy for Prisoners: Pilot Randomised controlled Trial and Implications for Evaluating Psychosocial Interventions’ is an article that that was authored by Jörg Assmus, Christian Gold, Fiona Kirkwood Brown, Kjetil Hjørnevik, Leif Waage, Brynjulf Stige, Anita Lill Hansen and Liv Gunnhild Qvale and published by the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology in December 2014. Here, the scholars present a research on a project carried on prisoners. The research was conducted in 2 phases.

During Phase One, a cohort study was performed at a prison. After serious deliberations, the researchers opted for Bjørgvin, a Bergen-based minimum security prison. During the second phase of the project that was of course conducted in the same institution between January 2010 and December 2012 the researchers targeted a total number of 180 participants. The main objective of the study was to find out the effectiveness of music therapy in the addressing mental health challenges affecting inmates in a prison setting. From previous researches, it has been established that mental health has been a major issue of concern in prisoners (Gutgsell, Schluchter, Margevicius, DeGolia, McLaughlin, Harris, Mecklenburg & Wiencek 2013). Therefore, to address it, researchers and specialists have to look for the best alternative intervention in the market. One such intervention is the music therapy that is linked to the reduction of mental illnesses as well as helping to facilitate the rehabilitation of inmates.  

To adequately respond to the research question, the researchers resorted to the use of Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) in which the inmates were given an opportunity to randomly participate in the trial. Out of the total prison population, 113 inmates accepted to participate in the trial. So, they were subjected to music therapy sessions to measure the effects of music intervention in the boosting of life satisfaction, social interactions and reduction of anxiety, and depression (Wigram, Saperston & West 2013). The changes in these factors were measured at the baseline and periodically fortnightly during the first, third and sixth months. However, for better results, the researchers involved two different groups of participants: the experimental and control groups. Each of these groups played a significant role in determining the extent of the impacts of music therapy on the inmates.  

The whole project was fully funded by a collaborative between different organizations: Helse Bergen (Regional Security Department, Division of Psychiatry), Uni helse (GAMUT), Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre, Kriminalomsorgen region vest (Bjørgvin prison), and the University of Bergen (Department of Psychology). The overall finding was that music therapy has a potential to reduce stress, anxiety and improve social skills as well as the quality of life for the (mentally-ill) inmates. For example, when the results were analyzed, it was established that (d = 0.33, p = .025) of the participants reported a reduction in the level of anxiety within 2 weeks (Chu, Yang, Lin, Ou, Lee, O’Brien & Chou 2013).

The project was initiated and heavily funded because of the significant contributions it has in public health. As clearly stated in the research problem, the issue of mental illness has been a great challenge amongst the prisoners. So, the researchers had to dedicate their time to effectively conduct the Randomized Control Trial to determine the significance of music therapy in addressing mental health.

The concept of Randomized Control Trial can be a brilliant idea if applied in psychiatry. It is one of the best intervention strategies to be applied in conducting extensive studies on various issues of public health concern. The way in which the researchers randomly choose participants and gave them freedom to voluntarily participate in the research can be so effective if replicated (McDermott, Crellin, Ridder & Orrell 2013). When applied in public health, the strategy can play a significant role in ensuring that appropriate participants are identified and included in a research work. In this case, it can be possible to carry out a research that can be of public good.   

The other important concept from this project is about the choice of the setting, general design and the use of comparison condition during the project. As demonstrated in this research, the effectiveness of a clinical intervention can be established if the project is based in the appropriate setting. For instance, in this situation, Bjørgvin was suitable because it is a minimum security prison in which inmates have been incarcerated. At the same time, the inclusion of the experimental and control group can be appropriate in carrying out research studies. It can give the researcher a chance to conduct a study and be able to compare the changes realized in subsequent studies done after the baseline research.

Lastly, the project provided insightful information on the roles of music therapy in the life of prisoners. It acts a reference point for professionals who are interested in conducting more research to find out if actually music can be an appropriate intervention in a criminal setting (Luik 2016). It can also equip one with adequate information on how to conduct such studies and get to know about the challenges involved and what measures to take to eradicate them. All these concepts can play a very significant role in conducting future researches on different public health topics in which a research-based intervention can be necessary.

References

Bunt, L. & Hoskyns, S., 2013. The handbook of music therapy. Routledge: London.

Bunt, L. & Stige, B., 2014. Music therapy: An art beyond words. Routledge: London.

Chen, X.J., Leith, H., Aarø, L.E., Manger, T. and Gold, C., 2016. Music therapy for improving mental health problems of offenders in correctional settings: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Experimental Criminology, pp.1-20.

Chu, H., Yang, C.Y., Lin, Y., Ou, K.L., Lee, T.Y., O’Brien, A.P. & Chou, K.R., 2013. The impact of group music therapy on depression and cognition in elderly persons with dementia: a randomized controlled study. Biological research for Nursing, p.1099800413485410.

Gold, C., Assmus, J., Hjørnevik, K., Qvale, L.G., Brown, F.K., Hansen, A.L., Waage, L. and Stige, B., 2014. Music Therapy for Prisoners Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial and Implications for Evaluating Psychosocial Interventions. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 58(12), pp.1520-1539.

Gutgsell, K.J., Schluchter, M., Margevicius, S., DeGolia, P.A., McLaughlin, B., Harris, M., Mecklenburg, J. and Wiencek, C., 2013. Music therapy reduces pain in palliative care patients: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 45(5), pp.822-831.

Loewy, J., Stewart, K., Dassler, A.M., Telsey, A. & Homel, P., 2013. The effects of music therapy on vital signs, feeding, and sleep in premature infants. Pediatrics, 131(5), pp.902-918.

Luik, M., 2016. Group music therapy program for recidivous inmates in prison. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 25(sup1), pp.44-44.

McDermott, O., Crellin, N., Ridder, H.M. & Orrell, M., 2013. Music therapy in dementia: a narrative synthesis systematic review. International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 28(8), pp.781-794.

Odell-Miller, H., 2016. The Future of Music Therapy in Forensic and Criminal Justice Settings. Helen Odell-Miller. ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OF MUSIC THERAPY, p.53.

Tuastad, L. & O’Grady, L., 2013. Music therapy inside and outside prison–A freedom practice?. Nordic journal of music therapy, 22(3), pp.210-232.

Ueda, T., Suzukamo, Y., Sato, M. & Izumi, S.I., 2013. Effects of music therapy on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing research reviews, 12(2), pp.628-641.

Wigram, T., Saperston, B. & West, R., 2013. Art & science of music therapy: A handbook. Routledge: London.

Zhou, K., Li, X., Li, J., Liu, M., Dang, S., Wang, D. & Xin, X., 2015. A clinical randomized controlled trial of music therapy and progressive muscle relaxation training in female breast cancer patients after radical mastectomy: Results on depression, anxiety and length of hospital stay. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 19(1), pp.54-59.