ABSTRACT

Philosophical Inquiry into Music Therapy, Adult Day Centers, and Serious Mental Illness.
Sandra Tickner-Broadhurst
Music therapy is a discipline which has shown to be effective in empirical studies when its interventions are used in psychiatric hospital units or specialized psychiatric settings to: (a) enhance global well-being, (b) improve psycho-social functioning, (c) diminish anxiety, (d) decrease stress, and (e) support validation. The purpose of this inquiry stemmed from the author’s assumption that music therapy may also assist older adults with serious mental illness experience a successful integration into an Adult Day Center. The research design used a philosophical inquiry methodology to investigate and develop an argument to support and present the potential roles of music therapy in assisting the target population make the transition/integration into the community service provider of an Adult Day Center. Development of the argument involved an investigation and analysis of the role of music therapy’s potential as an essential first-line intervention towards facilitating a successful integration experience. Analysis of the literature demonstrated the efficacy of music therapy to enhance socialization, communication, recovery and well-being for adults with serious mental illness within psychiatric hospitals, day hospitals, community settings, and demonstrated the possibility of similar interventions in an Adult Day Center. The results revealed the potential for music therapy to be effective in the Adult Day Center setting to decrease: (a) the risks of isolation, and (b) the multi-faces of stigmatization, bias, and prejudice. Music therapy’s potential for addressing non-adherence to health care services for older individuals with serious mental illness looks promising however, the current evidence is inconclusive thereby indicating need for further research. The conclusion addresses the limitations of the study, gaps in the literature, the author’s interpretations of the inquiry, and presents potential future questions for practice and research in music therapy in Adult Day Centers.