Enjoying expression: Exploring the benefits of music therapy on patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and using metaphor games/improvisations for increasing emotional awareness level

Abstract

Although music therapy is an evidence-based and effective therapy method in clinical psychiatric settings all around the world, the literature on music therapy's effect specifically on emotional awareness is very limited. This study, which has been conducted as a part of presenter's music therapy master's thesis aims to examine the clinical benefits of music therapy in a Turkish university hospital, to enable further research and promote the recognition of music therapy as a valid clinical method in psychiatry in this country. A study was conducted in Istanbul university psychiatry clinic with 6 patients currently under standard care due to diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like disorders by the hospital staff. The participants attended 20 music therapy sessions with pre-post clinical psychological tests applied around the sessions. The results reveal that group music therapy supports the well being of outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Significant changes on general functionality, personal and social performance, depression levels, increase in the level of ways of coping with stress and decrease in difficulties in emotion regulation concerning emotional awareness and are reported. Music therapy games/improvisations using animals as metaphors were played to reach emotional content of patients that normally have very limited verbal sharing in sessions, which possibly effected the change on emotional awareness. Session notes consisting of the therapy crew's observations support the statistical analysis of these benefits. These findings show that music therapy can be beneficial on multiple dimensions, including emotional awareness, in a Turkish university hospital; and therefore, more implication opportunities are suggested.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.