Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview Available"We've got a special connection": qualitative analysis of descriptions of change in the parent-child relationship by mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder(GRIEG ACADEMY, 2015-01-02)Young children with autism spectrum disorder face many developmental challenges, most notably in the area of reciprocal social interactions with family and peers. Collaborating with the families of these children in therapy sessions is fast becoming best practice in many countries. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 11 mothers who participated in family-centred music therapy sessions along with their child. The interview questions focussed on changes to the nature of the parent–child relationship. Analysis of the interviews identified three aspects of positive change to the parent–child relationship, namely: the quality of the relationship; the parents’ perception of the child and the parents’ response to the child. The changes in the relationship with their child were valued and cherished by all of the mothers, and understanding the impact a family-centred approach might have on the nature of the parent–child relationship needs further exploration.
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ItemMusic Therapy and the NDIS: Understanding music therapy as a reasonable and necessary support service for people with disability(Australian Music Therapy Association, 2016)This document results from the findings of a small scoping study conducted to develop a better understanding of the needs, perspectives, and goals of all stakeholders in the provision of music-based services within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Interviews were conducted with 10 consenting participants (Registered Music Therapists, NDIS Plan Support Coordinators and a Parent of a Participant of the Scheme) with the content of these interviews forming the data used for analysis. With the study strongly highlighting a lack of community and sector understanding of music therapy, this document looks to stimulate discussion and solutions to broadening knowledge of the profession, particularly in relation to its existing implementation and future potential for people with disability under the NDIS, and as such is prepared on behalf of the Australian Music Therapy Association Inc. It is intended as a document of reference for the NDIA, Registered Music Therapists, Participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, their parents, carers and support workers.
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ItemA critical interpretive synthesis of the most commonly used self-report measures in Australian mental health research(SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2016-10)OBJECTIVE: To critically examine the self-report measures most commonly used in Australian mental health research in the last 10 years. METHOD: A critical interpretive synthesis was conducted using seven outcome measures that were identified as most popular in 43 studies from three mental health journals. RESULTS: Results suggest that the amount and type of language used in outcome measures is important in both increasing the accuracy of the data collected and fostering positive experiences of data collection for participants. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that many of the measures most often used in Australian mental health research may not align with the current contemporary philosophy of mental health clinical practice in Australia.
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ItemContextualising the relationship between music, emotions and the well-being of young people: A critical interpretive synthesis(SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2016-03)A convergent parallel design was used to interrogate two sets of literature produced by researchers investigating music, emotions and well-being: the first being 16 quantitative music psychology studies, the second being seven qualitative music therapy studies. A series of critical analyses examined some of the main assumptions that had influenced the design of the studies, largely related to the nomothetic or idiographic approaches adopted by the researchers, as well as beliefs about how music is best used for either emotion regulation or emotional expression. The results of the critical analyses were then synthesised into a set of three theoretical propositions describing how uses of music may vary across a well-being continuum, particularly noting that the same music can have a different effect depending on the state of well-being of the individual. It is proposed that when people use music to engage with strong emotions while distressed, qualitatively different experiences result that may require a supportive, even therapeutic context. The value of contextualising rather than generalising about music and emotions is therefore argued, particularly for vulnerable young people who might rely on ways of using music to engage with emotions that do not sufficiently account for their current state of well-being.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableRegistered music therapists motivations and perceptions of the impact of their practices on the well-being of clients and themselves(Australian Music Therapy Association, 2016)
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ItemAuthors' roundtable: scientific writing, peer review, and publication across journals(GRIEG ACADEMY, 2016)
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ItemInvestigating Wellbeing Outcomes: The Melbourne Recital Centre(The University of Melbourne, 2016)
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ItemHow can research practice promote young people's recovery from mental illness? A critical look at the Australian context.(IARS, 2015-12-22)This paper addresses the degree of congruence between recovery principles and research practices in a leading Australian youth mental health research centre. Investigators address the responsibility of research systems in promoting social change, through a critical perspective of the ways in which research practices support or stifle recovery philosophy. Method: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis was undertaken with a sample of research studies from the largest youth mental health centre in Australia. Analysis involved a critical interpretation of the data for meaning, context and philosophical influences. Results: Results revealed that despite an increasing number of studies addressing recovery-congruent topics, research methods showed little progression towards enacting recovery principles. Investigators interpret the ways in which the continued dominance of experimental designs informed by the Positivist paradigm lacks recovery practices of user involvement or acknowledgement of multiple perspectives. Conclusions: Implications of a research culture that privileges dominant paradigms are discussed. Investigators assert the need for greater diversity in research methods in youth mental health, and discuss the relevance of participatory research to recovery principles. Systemic issues are explored, with suggestions for implementing change both in, and beyond, the Australian context.
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ItemThe psychosocial benefits of school music: reviewing policy claims(Music Council of Australia, 2016-03-08)While policy-based advocacy for music in schools has previously focused on arguments for cognitive and academic benefits, scholars have increasingly critiqued this rationale. Such critique is now reflected in Australian policy documentation, which now emphasises psychosocial benefits as the most notable non-musical advantage of student music participation in mainstream schools. This paper uses recent research to review these claims, with a specific focus on the type of music participation that policy documents claim will achieve psychosocial benefits. This aims to both assess the suitability of current advocacy in this area, and bring existing evidence to the attention of policymakers. The article concludes that models of music participation must be broadened beyond the current definitions of music education if psychosocial benefits are to be experienced by students in mainstream schools.
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ItemA Critical Interpretive Synthesis of the Literature Linking Music and Adolescent Mental Health(SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2016-07)There is a diverse literature that explores the relationship between youth, music, and mental health, with few attempts at systematic synthesis. This critical interpretive review included 33 studies published between 2000 and 2012 investigating the relationship between music and the mental health of young people, particularly targeting depression. An iterative methodology was used involving several layers of inductive analysis with the intention of generating an organizing framework that critically synthesized the available literature. The organizing framework highlights that decisions related to research design, assessment of health, and the nature of musical engagement have predictably influenced study outcomes. Studies have been limited by the collection of insufficient detail about the full range of individual’s musical behaviors. In addition, there has been inadequate triangulation of health outcomes solicited from a variety of perspectives. More comprehensive research is needed that avoids simplistic dichotomies in relation to music and youth mental health.