Battling Illness With Wellness: A Qualitative Case Study of a Young Rapper’s Experiences With Music Therapy

Journal

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy

Year

2015

Abstract

Mental health difficulties are connected with major interpersonal and social challenges. Recent qualitative research indicates that music therapy can facilitate many of the core elements found to promote social recovery and social inclusion, findings also reflected in results from a growing body of effect studies. The objective of this study was to explore how music therapy might afford possibilities for social recovery to one man with psychosis admitted to a psychiatric intensive care unit. This was achieved by means of a qualitative case study featuring a description of the music therapeutic process alongside first-hand accounts of the participant’s subjective experiences. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The findings are presented in a narrative form reflecting processes and activities considered particularly important for the process of social recovery. Theoretical perspectives from the recovery literature and current perspectives in music therapy are discussed with a view to the possible use of music therapy for strengthening agency, (re)building identity, developing positive relationships, and expanding social networks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

Music and Health Institute Terms

Engagement Level; Hospitalized Patients; Mental Health; Music Therapy; Psychiatric Symptoms; Social Isolation; Subjective Reports

Indexed Terms

mental health; psychosis; user perspective; social recovery; Musicians

Study Type

Case Study; Qualitative Methods

Document Type

Article

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