Ebook: Therapeutic effects of music therapy on anziety and quality of life for chronically ill adults with mental illness

Benz A., Therapeutic effects of music therapy on anziety and quality of life for chronically ill adults with mental illness,A research paper submitted to the graduateschool in partial fullfilment of the requirements for the degree - Masters of Science, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, December, 2010,AbstractMental Illness impacts many individuals, families and communities. Treatments for chronically mentally ill individuals include a variety of medications and behavioral therapies. Alternative therapies can also help reduce anxiety and improve social behavior. Music therapy has been identified as one method to reduce anxiety, resulting in an increased quality of life. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of music therapy on social anxiety and quality of life for individuals who are chronically mentally ill. This is a replication of Grocke, Bloch and Castle’s (2009) study. The study is based on Group Music Therapy (Bloch & Crouch, 1985). The anticipated sample will include 500 outpatients being treated in a local mental health facility in MD. The WHOQOLBREF Quality of Life Scale, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Brief Symptom Inventory will be used to collect data. Semi-structured interviews will also be conducted with focus groups. Findings will provide insight about the impact of music therapy as an alternative treatment to reduce anxiety and improve quality of life for chrochronically ill individuals.