[Music therapy in the behavior therapeutic combined treatment concept. Comparison between alcoholics with neurotic personality structure and patients with behavior disturbances]

Journal/Book: Z Psychosom Med Psychoanal. 1980; 26: 282-95.

Abstract: From times immemorial, music closely associating with magic, played a significant part in the art of healing and in religion itself. It is not an invention of modern technical age and today it is legitimately involved in the overall rehabilitation programms in psychiatry. We have therefore attempted to conduct a study on this subject. The present investigation compares the behaviour of 100 alcoholics and 100 patients with neurotic personality disturbances drawn from the catchment areas of the Psychiatric University Clinic Vienna/Austria and the Anton-Proksch-Institut in Vienna-Kalksburg with regard to their respone to this type of therapy. We found that music provides a substantial contribution in reinforcing the basic ethical concept of the person concerned. It also breaks the barriere of expressivity by enriching the pool fo potential vocabulary. It appears to be the ideal medium of free communication. Investigation has to be continued, but music therapy will never develop from an ancilliary treatment into a therapeutic method in its own right. However, the music therapist should be prepared if necessary to allow for useful deviations from the traditional lines of musical concepts in his efforts to reduce the state of anxiety in his patients and prevent further deterioration instinct and traditional values, thus strengthening the ethical concept.

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