23.7. 1993 Vitoria-Gasteiz / Spain - World Federation of Music Therapy

M U S I C , A N X I E T Y A N D T H E M E N T A L L Y
H A N D I C A P P E D - A R E V I E W
JEFF HOOPER
There is evidence to suggest that the prevelance of
anxiety among adults with a mental handicap is greater
than that in the general population (Novosel 1 ). This
anxiety is found particularily in the form of phobic
reactions (Corbett 2 , Ballinger and Reid 3 ) or as
manifested by behaviour disturbance. The behavioural
treatment of that anxiety appears largely to centre on
the use of relaxation training, either as a treatment in its
own right (Lindsay and Baty 4 5 ) or in conjunction with
systematic desensitisation (Guralnick 6 ).
Since the late nineteenth century researchers have
studied physiological responses to musical stimuli
(Gilliland and Moore 7, Zimny and Weidenfeller 8 , Ellis and
Brighouse 9 and Shatin 10 ). They have established that
222
music effects G.S.R., heart rate and respiratory rate.
This evidence has in turn resulted in a variety of clinical
projects examining the impact of music on various
aspects of client behaviour (Stevensll, Reiber l2 ,
Reardon and Bell l3 , Moss l4 and Zimmerman, Pierson
and Marker l5 ). A wealth of work has been undertaken
among the non-handicapped population into the use of
music in stress reduction, however a comparatively
small body of research has investigated the effect of
relaxing music on the anxiety of the mentally
handicapped.
Relaxation techniques often require the subjects to
watch and imitate. The demand this places on
concentration and attention may prove too great for
many mentally handicapped people and so exclude
them from treatment.
Could relaxing music offer a viable alternative?
Certainly Stoudenmire 16 has shown that music is as
successful as relaxation training among the non-