The effects of music therapy on the self-esteem of emotionally disturbed adolescents

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of music therapy on the self-esteem of emotionally disturbed adolescents. Subjects were 19 students in a private school, ranging in age from 11 to 16 years. Ten subjects were treated with six weeks of music therapy which focused on craetive, expressive activities within a group context. Nine subjects were treated with six weeks of verbal therapy using closely parallel activities. All subjects were pre- en post-tested with the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. A two-way ANOVA with repeated measures of the second factor was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the interaction was not significant, and that there were no significant differences between the groups or between pre- and post-test scores. Comparison of session notes for the two groups, however, revealed qualitative differences in behavior at various stages in the therapy process. Suggestions are given for designing future research in the area.

Note: Coopersmith-Self-Esteem-Inventory.

Keyword(s): music-therapy, self-esteem, emotional-disturbance, adolescents, creativity, self-expression.

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