Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

In Denmark two music therapists have documented the positive outcome of using
adapted BMGIM with hospice patients (Bode 2002, Borch Jensen 2000). The patients
reported increased relaxation and used music and imagery for life reminiscence.
2.4.5 Other relevant BMGIM research
Outside the cancer field Wrangsjö and Körlin (1995) studied the effect of BMGIM on
14 healthy adults. They reported a decrease in psychiatric symptoms (as defined and
measured by HSCL-90) and interpersonal problems, and a significant increase in the
participants’ experience of life as more meaningful and coherent (measured by
Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Scale, SOC).
In a more recent paper Körlin and Wrangsjö (2002) reported the results of a study
with 30 participants (no control group), who participated in individual BMGIM
sessions with the purpose of improving either self development (participants were
“functional” according to SCL-90 criteria) or different psychological symptoms
(participants were “dysfunctional” according to SCL-90 criteria). Outcomes were
measured with the questionnaires IIP, SCL-90 and SOC. Results demonstrated
clinically significant changes in 6 of 10 participants, 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, the total score was
significantly improved (p = 0.006), and results from the Meaningfulness and
Manageability subscales reported significant improvement (p = 0.005 for
Meaningfulness and p = 0.000 for Manageability, measured with Students t-test).
Effect sizes were low for the total scores (d = 0.42) and Meaningfulness (d = 0.36)
and moderate for Manageability (d = 0.57), both in the functional and the
dysfunctional group. The Comprehensibility subscale was unaffected. The
improvements are discussed as a reflection of increased imaginal competence of the
participants, obtained through the BMGIM therapy. Körlin and Wangsjö mention that
an important aspect of the BMGIM process is “the management of imaginal threats by
mobilization of resources and defensive manoeuvres that may translate into strategies
of management in the outer world.” (p. 12) Implications of the study is that the SOC
scale seems to measure outcome, not predictability of response as Antonovsky
34