Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

The results support hypothesis ten.
5.5 Discussion
The results of the analysis of questionnaire data are interesting when compared with
findings from previous studies. Debra Burns (1999, 2001) explored the effectiveness
of BMGIM in alleviating mood disturbance and improving quality of life in cancer
patients in a small, controlled study. The results demonstrated significant effects in
both mood and quality of life scores of the experimental group, and indicated the
effectiveness of BMGIM. In the present study there was no control group, and
different questionnaire tools were used to the Burns study. However, the clinical trials
in the treatment condition in the two studies were administered in a similar way, and
the results are also consistent.
Clark and McKinney (2004) investigated the effectiveness of six BMGIM sessions on
distress, life quality, and relevant endocrine markers in women recovering from
treatment for non-metastatic breast cancer. The results demonstrated that BMGIM
sessions significantly reduced levels of depressed mood and total mood disturbance,
increased emotional and social well-being and well-being associated with breast
cancer concerns, and decreased intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviours related
to cancer. However it diverges from Burns’ study in that the observed changes in
depressed mood and total mood disturbance were not sustained through the 6-week
follow-up. The authors conclude that for clinical populations, a minimum of 10
sessions may be needed to effect sustained change in distressed mood. In the present
study participants had 10 sessions, and the results support the conclusion reported by
Clark and McKinney in their study, as overall changes in mood (see table 5.1) and
Life quality (see table 5.3) were sustained at follow-up.
Outside the cancer field Körlin and Wrangsjö (2002) made a study with 30
participants (no control group), and demonstrated clinically significant changes in 6 of
10 participants (categorized as “dysfunctional” according to SCL-90 criteria), who
moved from “dysfunctional” to “functional” according to SCL-90 criteria.
Participants in the “functional” group improved in the ego-dystonic subscales of IIP
that are otherwise considered difficult to change through psychotherapy. In the SOC,
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