Michael J. Silverman , Lacey Reimnitz , Kiran Dahlin , Maeva Ngono
{"title":"Developing and maintaining a thriving music therapy department at a senior living community: An exploratory interpretivist case study","authors":"Michael J. Silverman , Lacey Reimnitz , Kiran Dahlin , Maeva Ngono","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102265","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Older adults in senior living communities (SLC) often receive psychosocial treatments to maintain their health and quality of life. Although music therapy is a psychosocial intervention that may address these needs, there is a lack of literature regarding how to build and maintain thriving music therapy departments for older adults at SLC. The purpose of this exploratory interpretivist case study was to understand how music therapy became a thriving department at a SLC. We individually interviewed four music therapists, two music therapy interns, and 10 staff members working at a SLC. We used thematic analysis to analyze transcripts and member checking and trustworthiness to provide credibility to our findings. We identified eight ideas that we categorized into two overarching themes describing how the music therapy team developed and maintained a thriving music therapy department at a SLC: Therapists’ qualities (competence of music therapy team members, growth mindset, helping in and helping out, proactively avoiding burnout) and Departmental values (visibility of music therapy department, communication and education of therapeutic rationales, active role in interdisciplinary care meetings, soliciting input). Findings provide situated context to developing and maintaining a thriving music therapy department at a SLC. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"92 ","pages":"Article 102265"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Arts in Psychotherapy","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197455625000188","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Older adults in senior living communities (SLC) often receive psychosocial treatments to maintain their health and quality of life. Although music therapy is a psychosocial intervention that may address these needs, there is a lack of literature regarding how to build and maintain thriving music therapy departments for older adults at SLC. The purpose of this exploratory interpretivist case study was to understand how music therapy became a thriving department at a SLC. We individually interviewed four music therapists, two music therapy interns, and 10 staff members working at a SLC. We used thematic analysis to analyze transcripts and member checking and trustworthiness to provide credibility to our findings. We identified eight ideas that we categorized into two overarching themes describing how the music therapy team developed and maintained a thriving music therapy department at a SLC: Therapists’ qualities (competence of music therapy team members, growth mindset, helping in and helping out, proactively avoiding burnout) and Departmental values (visibility of music therapy department, communication and education of therapeutic rationales, active role in interdisciplinary care meetings, soliciting input). Findings provide situated context to developing and maintaining a thriving music therapy department at a SLC. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.
期刊介绍:
The Arts in Psychotherapy is a dynamic, contemporary journal publishing evidence-based research, expert opinion, theoretical positions, and case material on a wide range of topics intersecting the fields of mental health and creative arts therapies. It is an international peer-reviewed journal publishing 5 issues annually. Papers are welcomed from researchers and practitioners in the fields of art, dance/movement, drama, music, and poetry psychotherapy, as well as expressive and creative arts therapy, neuroscience, psychiatry, education, allied health, and psychology that aim to engage high level theoretical concepts with the rigor of professional practice. The journal welcomes contributions that present new and emergent knowledge about the role of the arts in healthcare, and engage a critical discourse relevant to an international readership that can inform the development of new services and the refinement of existing policies and practices. There is no restriction on research methods and review papers are welcome. From time to time the journal publishes special issues on topics warranting a distinctive focus relevant to the stated goals and scope of the publication.