Project 6
Interdisciplinary Research Project between Nordoff Robbins & South Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Centre. (completed 2005)
Title: Music Therapy in Mental Health: Qualitative Outcomes.
Principal researcher: Dr Gary Ansdell
Research Team: Dr Gary Ansdell (music therapist) & Dr John Meehan (Consultant psychiatrist)
Project Outline: This three-year study, by a music therapist researcher and a consultant psychiatrist, aimed to explore the following research question: In what ways is music therapy able to address the non-pharmacological Healthcare Needs of patients living with acute and chronic mental health conditions? Within the climate of a continuing demand for ‘evidence’ of clinical effectiveness music therapy needs to make the case for how its accessible forms of evidence can be based on qualitative criteria, such as patient reports. This also ties in with current demands for user-influenced services in mental health. This study made a systematic analysis of a purposive sample of twenty patients who have had at least 10 individual music therapy sessions.
Presentations:
- Presentation at interdisciplinary academic seminar at South Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Centre (February 2005) by Dr Gary Ansdell and Dr John Meehan):‘Music Therapy in Mental Health: Qualitative Outcomes’.
- Presentation by Dr Ansdell at the APMT/BSMT Annual Conference, entitled: ‘“And Music Leads the Way”: A research-based inquiry into music-centred music therapy’ – based on the results of this project.
Publications:
Draft article completed and ready for submission to British Journal of Psychiatry: ‘Music Therapy in Mental Health: Validating Qualitative Outcomes’ (Ansdell, G & Meehan, J.)
Other Outcomes:
This research project helped to raise the profile and perceptions of the clinical effectiveness of music therapy within South Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Centre. This in turn led to the expansion of the post and the transfer of funding from Nordoff Robbins to the NHS (January 2005). The post remains a Nordoff Robbins supported post.
The project also led to continuing possibilities of research on this site, and the development of current projects.