Music as a Form of Self-Therapy in College Students
Location
Guzman 201, Dominican University of California
Start Date
4-17-2019 6:00 PM
End Date
4-17-2019 7:00 PM
Student Type
Adult Degree Completion
Faculty Mentor(s)
Veronica Fruit, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Abstract
Music therapy utilizes music interventions as a way of addressing a person’s psychological and physical needs. It has various forms and techniques that range from listening to writing to performing. The therapeutic benefits of music are widespread and can be particularly useful in the grieving process. Research has shown that music that addresses concerns about life and death provides children with a meaningful connection through familiar and positive sources (Hilliard, 2001). Dialogue to deceased family and friends through singing interventions can considerably improve a grieving adult’s access of their own emotions (Iliya & Harris, 2016). Among adolescents, organized songwriting sessions can have a substantial effect on the grief process and overall psychological health (Dalton & Krout, 2005). With the ability to be accessed by multiple generations, it is possible that college students use music in their everyday lives to deal with grief. The goal of the present study is to examine the use of music, both listening and writing, as a form of self-therapy in college students. Participants in the this study consisted of 30 individuals enrolled at a private, liberal arts institution in Northern California. Participants were asked to complete a survey consisting of questions from the Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory (Gillies, Neimeyer, & Milman, 2014) and The Psychological Mechanisms, Motives, and Emotional Reactions to Music Listening Web Survey (Juslin et al., 2016) This is study is expected to show that college students who self-report using music as form of therapy to deal with past or present emotions related to grief report coping with loss better than their peers who do not. College students are also expected to report listening to music therapeutically more than writing music therapeutically. This research is expected to support previous evidence that asserts that individuals who use music therapy are better able to cope with loss.
key words: music, self-therapy, grief
Music as a Form of Self-Therapy in College Students
Guzman 201, Dominican University of California
Abstract
Music therapy utilizes music interventions as a way of addressing a person’s psychological and physical needs. It has various forms and techniques that range from listening to writing to performing. The therapeutic benefits of music are widespread and can be particularly useful in the grieving process. Research has shown that music that addresses concerns about life and death provides children with a meaningful connection through familiar and positive sources (Hilliard, 2001). Dialogue to deceased family and friends through singing interventions can considerably improve a grieving adult’s access of their own emotions (Iliya & Harris, 2016). Among adolescents, organized songwriting sessions can have a substantial effect on the grief process and overall psychological health (Dalton & Krout, 2005). With the ability to be accessed by multiple generations, it is possible that college students use music in their everyday lives to deal with grief. The goal of the present study is to examine the use of music, both listening and writing, as a form of self-therapy in college students. Participants in the this study consisted of 30 individuals enrolled at a private, liberal arts institution in Northern California. Participants were asked to complete a survey consisting of questions from the Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory (Gillies, Neimeyer, & Milman, 2014) and The Psychological Mechanisms, Motives, and Emotional Reactions to Music Listening Web Survey (Juslin et al., 2016) This is study is expected to show that college students who self-report using music as form of therapy to deal with past or present emotions related to grief report coping with loss better than their peers who do not. College students are also expected to report listening to music therapeutically more than writing music therapeutically. This research is expected to support previous evidence that asserts that individuals who use music therapy are better able to cope with loss.
key words: music, self-therapy, grief