This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
Music is often used to induce relaxation and encourage calm surroundings, but in a group psychiatric treatment environment creating such a space can be complicated by varying and conflicting music preferences. Although best practices in music therapy encourage use of preferred music in sessions, adolescents’ tastes can be so closely…
Music is often used to induce relaxation and encourage calm surroundings, but in a group psychiatric treatment environment creating such a space can be complicated by varying and conflicting music preferences. Although best practices in music therapy encourage use of preferred music in sessions, adolescents’ tastes can be so closely tied with their sense of identity that tension may arise between peers in a group setting. On an inpatient adolescent psychiatric unit this issue becomes compounded by additional factors such as inadequate communication skills and difficulties with self-regulation. Although one must be careful not to generalize or romanticize, current literature suggests specific nature sounds may have a calming effect across settings and cultural backgrounds. However, nature sound research done from the music therapy perspective is scarce, and thus evidence-based guidelines for the use of such sounds could prove useful in further exploration of their potential uses in music therapy interventions. This thesis explores the use of nature sounds as a part of music therapy treatment interventions, as well as on the behavioral health adolescent unit during daily routine where environmental sounds can be a problem. If successfully implemented in an acute psychiatric setting with adolescent patients, both during the therapy session and throughout the day, administered by the person receiving treatment and under the guidance of the music therapist, these interventions have the potential to decrease the number and severity of behavioral emergency codes, potentially leading to fewer instances of restraint, as well as more effective functioning after discharge from the inpatient setting.
