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Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

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in contrast to Burns’ study, the observed changes in depressed mood and total mood<br />

disturbance were not sustained through the 6-week follow-up. There were no<br />

significant changes in endocrine markers. The authors conclude that for clinical<br />

populations, a minimum <strong>of</strong> 10 sessions may be needed to effect sustained change in<br />

distressed mood.<br />

2.4.4 BMGIM in palliative care<br />

As mentioned earlier, modifications <strong>of</strong> the BMGIM format is found very <strong>of</strong>ten in<br />

palliative/hospice care <strong>of</strong> cancer patients, and it is debatable whether or under which<br />

circumstances classical BMGIM is possible and appropriate with patients in palliative<br />

care.<br />

Bruscia (1994) worked with patients suffering from AIDS and identified the earlier<br />

mentioned five core images <strong>of</strong> gay men living with AIDS. This imagery documents<br />

how BMGIM enable patients faced with a life-threatening disease to express their<br />

emotions, fears and hopes, and to reconcile themselves with their life situation (see<br />

section 2.4.1).<br />

Erdonmez (1994) described a series <strong>of</strong> five BMGIM sessions with a 50-year-old<br />

woman with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Her ability to engage music and<br />

imagery enabled her to face images <strong>of</strong> death and transition and experience pr<strong>of</strong>ound<br />

spiritual growth.<br />

Washington (1990) investigated the effects <strong>of</strong> modified BMGIM on the reduction <strong>of</strong><br />

anxiety levels in terminally ill cancer patients. Twelve subjects were used, all with a<br />

diagnosis <strong>of</strong> cancer considered untreatable and therefore terminal. Subjects ranged<br />

from fifty to eighty years <strong>of</strong> age and were referred by the social service division <strong>of</strong> an<br />

in-home hospice program affiliated with a large city hospital. The measurement tool<br />

used in this study was the State Scale <strong>of</strong> the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a<br />

forty-item inventory designed to measure degrees <strong>of</strong> state and trait anxiety in the<br />

general population. The STAI was administered before and after the music<br />

intervention. No statistically significant results were obtained, and only in limited<br />

cases were post-test scores slightly reduced from pre-test scores. The results may have<br />

been due to the size <strong>of</strong> the sample, the severity <strong>of</strong> illness or other unknown factors.<br />

32

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