Abstract

This research involved a systematic literature review of music therapy research studies on the use of music therapy for end-of-life family caregivers published from 1990 to 2012 in peer-reviewed music therapy and non-music therapy journals, master theses, doctoral dissertations, and edited book chapters. A total of 14 music therapy studies were identified, and analyzed using a template with 22 categories that were derived and modified from Aigen’s 2008 templates. Several categories were particularly noteworthy: author, publishing venue, types of presentational form and context, topic and focus of the study; research method and procedures, evaluation standards and procedures, and the description of findings. Important findings included: more than half of the identified journal articles are found in non-music therapy journals, the most frequently-used methods are designed within a qualitative approach; and naturalistic inquiry is the most commonly-used methodology. In assessing these publications, it was found that more attention is needed on such particular areas as selection criteria, choice of evaluation standards and procedures, and the influence of dual relationships. Because of the great needs of end-of-life family caregivers, further research is still needed.