Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

exclusively anecdotal and based on descriptive, retrospective case studies. There is a
lack of well-designed studies using fixed as well as flexible designs.
In an overview of the literature on BMGIM in the treatment of individuals with
chronic illness Burns (2002) addresses how BMGIM may influence immune and
endocrine functions as well as emotional distress related to chronic illness. Research
by McKinney and colleagues demonstrated that hormone levels, including cortisol
and beta-endorphin, and depression decreased in healthy adults as a result of six
BMGIM sessions (McKinney et al 1995, 1997a). Changes in cortisol were correlated
significantly with changes in mood, to the point that positive mood change predicted
cortisol decrease. Other studies (see McKInney 2002) indicated that BMGIM or GMI
sessions may bring about significant positive changes in both mood (anxiety,
depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion) and quality of life (as determined by the
patient’s perspective). BMGIM may be used as a psychosocial intervention in
different stages of the chronic illness disease trajectory: diagnosis, treatment,
survivorship, and palliative care. In the diagnosis stage BMGIM may serve as a
psycho-emotional support, giving the patient an opportunity to share his or her
personal story, to ventilate emotional tension and distress, and to address physical
pain (Logan 1998). In the treatment phase BMGIM can be used to manage both
treatment- and disease-related symptoms through the experience of healing imagery.
In the survivorship (or rehabilitation) stage BMGIM may support the patient in
managing fears related to recurrence, stress connected with fatigue and pain, and
problems with adjustment to a life on new conditions (for details in cancer care, see
section 2.4.3). Pain and fear of pain are problems of the patient in palliative care that
can be addressed through modified GIM. BMGIM in the classic format is rarely
appropriate with individuals at the end of life; however, modified BMGIM (relaxation
plus guided or non-guided imagery to selected classical music) may help patients to
transcend physical limitations in order to facilitate life reviews or spiritual exploration
(see also section 2.4.4).
Table 2.2 gives an overview of empirical studies on the effects of BMGIM and GMI
interventions on psychological and/or physiological variables. The list includes
studies with fixed design (experimental and controlled studies) as well as case studies.
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