Music therapy and the assessment of coping skills of forensic offenders
 

Author:

Laurien Hakvoort, BA

Abstract:

Research shows that many forensic psychiatric patients have limited coping skills (Brand & Van Emmerik, 2001). In order to better understand the relapse probability of forensic patients, it is necessary to study the specific coping skills of this population (Brand, 2007; McKenna, 2002; Woods, Reed & Collins, 2001). Unfortunately, there is little progress in the incorporation of coping skills in the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000), which is due to difficulties in the measurement of coping (Somerfield & McCrae, 2000; Bijttebier, Vertommen & Vander Steene, 2001). Because it turns out to be difficult to assess the coping skills of healthy people, the proper measurement of (emotional) behavioral reactions of forensic psychiatric patients is even more demanding.
     The present research aims to investigate whether—and how—music therapy is capable of unveiling the coping skills of forensic patients. For this purpose a music therapy coping list was: (a) constructed using qualitative analysis, and (b) applied to assess the coping behavior of 137 forensic offenders using initial observation reports of music therapy.
     Patients are coping on different levels during the process of music therapy: (1) the relational interaction with the therapist, (2) the musical patient behavior, (3) the patient’s verbal reaction on the situation, and (4) his overt behavior. For the 137 patients data on their musical coping behavior were quantitatively compared (using correlations) with data on their coping skills as reported by group workers.
     Results show that the music therapy coping list measures different coping skills in far more detail and for specific situations than do the group workers measures. Thus, music therapy might add significant information about coping skills and coping limitations of forensic psychiatric patients and unveil important information for risk-assessment. The presentation will be illustrated with practical examples on videotape.
 

Biographical details:
Laurien Hakvoort received her BA music therapy in the Netherlands and her Masters degree at the University of the Pacific, USA (instruments: flute and voice). She specialized in behavioral music therapy and research. She has been working with different populations including twelve years within forensic psychiatry. In addition she teaches music therapy methodology at the conservatory of music in Enschede since 1998. She has recently started her PhD on music therapy and coping at the University of Groningen. She has published a number of articles in (inter)national journals. Momentarily she works in private practice as a registered music therapist.

Keywords:

coping – forensic psychiatry – report research – music therapy – assessment