Individual music psychotherapy and psychosis: Understanding and measuring relative effectiveness through rates of readmission

Abstract

This article explores the use of individual music psychotherapy for patients with psychosis who are frequently readmitted into hospital. It explores the extent to which music psychotherapy can support patients to stay out of hospital, thus reducing the costs of treatment. The high cost of inpatient stays is a major factor in shaping clinical services across both inpatient and outpatient zones of secondary care in the United Kingdom. Whether music therapy is seen as value for money may influence how it is provided and for how long. This article presents an empirical illustration of the frequency and duration of psychotic patients’ readmissions in England, and in London. An analysis of these data is provided in an attempt to ascribe meaning to these figures, through relevant literature and hypotheses. Finally, readmission rates are considered as a potential objective outcome measure of clinical effectiveness, by providing a comparison between patients treated with individual music psychotherapy and those receiving treatment as usual.