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

asleep.
The treatment took place at a time when Sarah's
behaviour was particularily disturbed. Her case notes
included a number of entries which described agitated
behaviour. These were possibly related to premenstrual
tension and menstruation, as her period
occurred half-way through the treatment period. It was
important therefore to offer her the opportunity to relax,
and listening to music would appear to have
encouraged this experience. It was noted by staff that
she was prepared to sit still for short spells, and on
occasions she was "quite chatty". Both behaviours
indicated that she had become less anxious.
In a further study (Hooper, Lindsay, Richardson 19 ) I
carried out a more detailed examination of the long term
effect of music on anxiety. I measured the impact of
recreational musical activities on a mildly mentally
handicapped woman who was displaying a range of
inappropriate behaviours. She was hyperactive and
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tearful, and screamed abuse, pulled other resident's
hair and tore clothing. These behaviours were the
manifestations of her extreme anxiety.
The subject was regularily involved in recreational
musical activities. She either met with me on the ward
after breakfast for a 'sing-song', or she played untuned
percussion instruments with friends in a session
directed by me from the piano. This may seem rather
too summary a description of treatment. The activities
had a superficiality which precludes any detailed
therapeutic analysis, and my concern lay primarily with
evaluating the long-term effect of the treatment on the
subject's anxiety.
The ward staff kept a daily record of the incidence of
inappropriate behaviour. They monitored each incident
irrespective of the degree of the behaviour displayed
and they did so without the subject's knowledge. The