Authors (including presenting author) :
Ng YH(1), Cheuk HYE(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Patient Resources Centre, TMH
Introduction :
Music therapy is a non-verbal psychological treatment commonly used in health care setting for patients with mental health, chronic ill, geriatric health care. Four volunteers with professional training on music therapy conducted volunteer service with element of psychosocial intervention, with collaboration with narrative therapy of PRC social worker, in TMH Patient Resources Centre since 8.2016 to 8.2019 for the improvement of physical, social, communicative, emotional, intellectual, spiritual health and well-being of children and adolescents with mental illness and epilepsy / their carers, and also geriatric patients of Geriatic Day Hospital
Objectives :
The objectives of volunteer service with trained music therapist are aimed at (1) stress management, (2) emotional support and regulation, (3) facilitate patients’ choice and control over how to use the treatment best serving them, (4) enjoy the childhood, (5) facilitate parent-child relationships, and (6) recognition of self-achievement.
Methodology :
The six-to-seven sessions music therapy group, with 60 to 90 minutes per session, were conducted by volunteers with music therapy training, from July to August of 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, with support by youth volunteers. Different objectives were adopted for different service targets accordingly. Individual group sessions were structured as (1) verbal introduction of group purposes, (2) pre-group assessment through questionnaires/verbal discussion, (3) musical improvisation/songs where participants sing or play the instruments provided, (4) verbal discussion on between the improvisations /songs for experience/thoughts sharing related to the music, and (5) evaluation of session through questionnaires/verbal discussion. Service evaluation report was then prepared by the music therapist volunteers to patient resources centre afterward.
Result & Outcome :
Total 33 patients and 6 carers (children / adolescent with mental illness, epileptic children and parents, and patient of Geriatric Day Hospital(GDH)) joined 4 groups with 27 individual group sessions. The structure of parallel group structure with music therapy and narrative group was adopted for epileptic children and carers on 8. 2018. All participants showed positive response to connect patients’ inner world and the outer reality through active and receptive listening process, positive appraisal to patients (especially for patients of GDH), facilitate positive attitude of self-regulation in coping chronic and aging, enhance parent-children relationship in coping with epilepsy, to alleviate stress, to manage emotions, and facilitate positive coping towards chronic illnesses and aging. The volunteer services with volunteers with professional training in psychosocial intervention enhance patients and carers in facing and coping with chronic illness and aging.
