Change Process Research in Music Therapy: Introducing a Transdisciplinary Framework

Article Information

Creative Arts Educ Ther (2024) 10(1):21–40 DOI: 10.15212/CAET/2024/10/1

Change Process Research in Music Therapy: Introducing a Transdisciplinary Framework

Abstract

Music therapy is conceptualized as a systematic process of interventions and shared experiences that promote change in individualized health and wellbeing contexts. Change processes are crucial in music therapy, but little is known about certain factors, mediators, and mechanisms that cause or lead toward such change processes. There is a strong need for developments of theoretical and methodological frameworks of change in music therapy to achieve this goal. The current body of knowledge shows a lack of research on this topic, particularly on how to strategize and study change, how to understand research design and statistical analysis of change, and how to support and strengthen what is known today about change processes in music therapy. This article is grounded in theories that address complex interventions that cause a change in music and creative arts therapies as a means of guiding a dialogue about the potential for influencing research strategies and methods that investigate change processes. The review of the literature shows that although new studies about the efficacy of music therapy have been made in recent years, literature is extremely limited about predictors, moderators, shapes of change, stages of changes, processes, and mechanisms of change. There is strong evidence that music therapy works. However, it is not entirely known how, when, and why music therapy produces a change. Based on the findings in the current body of knowledge, further studies are needed to investigate every aspect of change with a pluralistic and interdisciplinary approach, which integrates methods from across the natural sciences, mathematics, arts, behavioral, and social sciences. This article introduces a framework addressing these issues, attempts to bridge current gaps in knowledge, expand capacity in the field of music therapy research, and equip clinicians, researchers, and professionals with tools and knowledge on change process research.

Keywords: change in music therapy, moderators, shape of change, process of change, mechanism of change, theoretical framework

摘要

音乐治疗被概念化为一种系统的干预和共享体验的过程, 旨在促进个体健康和福祉的变 化。变化过程在音乐治疗中至关重要, 但目前对导致或引导这些变化过程的某些因素、调节因素和机制知之甚少。为了实现这一目标, 迫切需要在音乐治疗中发展理论和方法 框架。目前的知识体系显示, 在如何战略性地研究变化、如何理解变化的研究设计和统计分析以及如何支持和加强当前对音乐治疗变化过程的认识方面, 研究非常匮乏。本文基于涉及引起音乐和创造性艺术治疗变化的复杂干预理论, 旨在指导关于影响研究策略和方法的对话, 研究这些变化过程。文献回顾显示, 尽管近年来有关于音乐治疗效果的新研究, 但关于变化的预测因素、调节因素、变化的形态、变化的阶段、过程和机制的文献极为有限。有强有力的证据表明音乐治疗是有效的。然而, 目前尚不完全清楚音乐治疗如何、何时以及为什么会产生变化。基于当前知识体系中的发现, 需要进一步的研究, 以多元和跨学科的方法来调查变化的各个方面, 整合自然科学、数学、艺术、行为和社会科学的方法。本文介绍了一个框架, 解决这些问题, 试图弥合当前知识的空白, 扩大音乐治疗研究领域的能力, 并为临床医生、研究人员和专业人员提供关于变化过程研究的工具和知识。

关键词： 音乐治疗中的变化, 调节因素, 变化的形态, 变化的过程, 变化的机制, 理论框架