Restituerende faktorer i gruppemusikterapi med psykiatriske patienter.

The GAF study showed that participants had a very low level of functioning at the
start of the therapy. They received scores between 31 and 40, which indicates a low
level of functioning in the area of communication. They had disturbances of thought
and a significantly decreased level of functioning in the areas of work, family
relations, judgment, cognitive thinking and affect. Several patients were delusional
and suicidal. None of them were employed and several were homeless. Generally
they had few or no friends.
The study showed an average improvement of 7.2% on the GAF scale after 6 months
of music therapy, which is satisfactory. Besides music therapy, treatment consisted of
hospitalization on a psychiatric ward, medical treatment, and for most of the
participants, milieu therapy on a psychiatric unit. Therefore it is difficult to determine
which of the therapeutic interventions was the most effective, since there were no
control group.
From the questionnaire survey (30 questions) it appeared that psychotherapeutic
aspects such as: trust, responsibility, openness, and awareness of emotions had great
significance for the patients. It also appeared that the patients validated the
importance of being understood, as well as their own contribution in the therapy. They
saw themselves as very motivated, and this was reflected in a very stable attendance
(98%). Furthermore, patients underlined the importance of the therapists' sympathy
and understanding. The patients' positive evaluation of the therapists indicated a good
therapeutic alliance. However, the very positive evaluation might also imply elements
of idealization.
Furthermore, it is interesting and significant that the patients evaluated the music
very positively.
I have occasionally encountered skepticism regarding exposing such poorly integrated
patients to this method of music therapy, where we allow patients to lie down during
music-listening and open up for their fantasies and emotions through the music. One
could fear that psychotic symptoms and anxiety could be reawakened. It is therefore
especially interesting that the patients for the most part responded positively
regarding the music in the questionnaire. From a music therapy point of view it is also
significant that the music selections were not experienced as frightening by these
fragile patients (question 27). Finally, the patients also emphasized that the
combination of music and conversation, as well as the combination of music and
imagery, was "a good idea". They found that the music helped them to become aware
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