Resources & references

This book presents some of the work from music therapists working in different approaches, in different countries, showing how valuable the inclusion of music therapy in palliative care has already proved to be. It is important for the dying, or those with terminal illness, that approaches are used which integrate the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of their being. 

This book chapter explains the effects of music therapy in palliative care. It is derived from the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine (5th Ed) published by the Oxford University Press. Note: The link includes the full text of the chapter (i.e., 18 pages plus references).

 Board Certified music therapy program at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Funded by Children's Miracle Network - Herskey. By manipulating the elements of a song, music therapists help control a patient's pain and anxiety, ease adjustment to the hospital setting and promote rehabilitation.

Music is now being used as medicine at the Foothills Medical Centre intensive care unit in Calgary, helping everyone from palliative care patients to stroke victims.

This video shows work by music therapist Carolyn Williams with children at Sick Kids Medical Hospital, in Toronto. Parents talk about the impact that music therapy has had on the development and the recovery of their child, while the music therapist comments on the actions and reactions of the children in the video. 

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of a single music therapy session to reduce pain in palliative care patients. This research validates that a single music therapy intervention incorporating therapist-guided autogenic relaxation and live music was effective in lowering pain in palliative care patients.

Music therapy has been a known positive and impactful intervention for adults with memory loss, but previous research and program reports have focused mainly on residents in long-term care facilities. In this study, a caregiver survey was utilized to learn how Music Therapy Respite, a community-based drop-in program, benefited caregivers and their care partner and if this changed based on attendance in a professionally led support group.

A music therapist presents the use of Music Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment. He starts by describing life experiences that led him to music therapy. Then, he goes on to discuss the 5 main clinical goals to use when working with this population (which work into the S.O.B.E.R. acronym). Suggested interventions and more are also covered.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of music therapy support groups (MTSG) on physical, psychological, and social functioning of cancer patients and caregivers. A mixed-methods approach was used, including an experimental, randomized, controlled trial and qualitative data from participant comments. The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant changes pre- to post-session in (a) pain in three sessions; (b) mood, stress, and anxiety in all six sessions; and (c) quality of life in two sessions.

This book has been designed as a textbook on music therapy for pediatric and adult patients receiving hospice care; it is divided into 4 parts. Part I is designed to provide foundational information on hospice and hospice music therapy. Part 2 includes descriptions of theory, assessment, roles of the therapist, and developmental issues in practice. Part 3 is focused on educational and professional issues. Part 4 is focused on advancing hospice music therapy. 

 Presentation by Tanya Lavoie, certified music therapist, working at the Montreal Children's Hospital.

 Bi-annual online journal, whose purpose is to disseminate current knowledge and information about music therapy education, clinical practice, and research worldwide.