Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

2.8.2 Research projects
Several research studies from abroad set out to investigate and prove the effectiveness
of music therapy, however, there is less literature in this field from the UK.
A study by Rüütel et al. (2004) used vibro-acoustic therapy to help adolescent girls
from secondary schools in Tallinn, Estonia, who suffered from anxiety and low selfesteem.
The girls were interviewed and the texts analysed using principles of
grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). The results showed that the therapy
enhanced relaxation, the girls’ coping ability and improved their physical selfawareness.
A study to examine the effects of a short-term music therapy programme on the
classroom behaviours of newly arrived refugee students in a secondary school was
run in Australia (Baker and Jones, 2005; 2006). A cross-over design with two fiveweek
intervention periods of group music therapy twice a week, and data collected
from the Behaviour Assessment Scale for Children, were used to evaluate a range of
positive and negative school behaviours. Results showed a significant decrease in
externalising behaviours, with particular reference to hyperactivity and aggression.
In the US, Hendricks et al. (1999) introduced a music-based programme for students
in a secondary school who demonstrated depressive symptoms. Results from this
study with pre- and post-testing showed a decrease in their symptoms. Hendricks
(2001) continued this line of investigation further, aiming to determine the
effectiveness of adding music therapy techniques to cognitive behavioural group
treatment for depressed adolescents. The Beck Depression Inventory was used as one
of the measures before and after a twelve-week period of treatment. There were 63
participants and results clearly showed that, by adding elements of music therapy,
there were reduced scores in depression and an increase in self-concept.
In Denmark, Roca (2011) explored how music and a humanistic approach to group
music therapy helps in the formation of identity in adolescents through emotional
expression and interpersonal relationships. Her study was undertaken in a secondary
school with a group of nine adolescents who had chosen music as an optional subject
in their fourth year, at the age of 14. They received 30 sessions over three months.
! %'!