Nye muligheter. En eksplorativ studie av deltakeres opplevelse i musikkterapigruppe innen rusbehandling

Abstract

This study explores music therapy in addiction treatment. The research was done in relation to a master’s project that established a music therapy program at a residential rehabilitation center, which relates to the concept of the therapeutic community, and offers long term therapeutic care for the chemically dependent. The focus is on how eight informants describe their experience of and participation in ten weekly group music therapy sessions. The study has a qualitative, exploratory and flexible research design, and uses an instrumental singlecase study with four units of analysis. The methods for collecting data are participant observation and interviews, and use an interpretative and phenomenological procedure for analyzing the data. The results can be summarized in five core subjects: motivation, recreation, self-mastery, self-awareness and meaning. The discussion deals with topics such as motivation for change and treatment, endurance in treatment and relapse prevention. Resource oriented music therapy, song sharing, and aspects of drugs and musical identity will be discussed and reflected upon. The study relates the findings to new possibilities of action, and suggests how music therapy can offer new opportunities for the addicted. The study makes a political statement on the development in the field of music therapy and addiction in Norway.