Music as a Psychosocial Intervention with People Suffering from Schizophrenia: Challenges in Practice and Research

In this chapter, we will present and reflect on challenges concerning clinical experiences and research within the area of music therapy as a psychosocial intervention for people suffering from schizophrenia. Two manuals for applying music therapy activities in two conditions in a research study were developed. The manual for the experimental group is based on intervention guidelines as a tool of engagement and regulation for the patient suffering from schizophrenia—simultaneously emphasizing an awareness of the position regarding closeness/distance and listening attitudes concerning the music therapist. Short descriptions of international research in the form of Cochrane- and meta-reviews will follow with an emphasis on presenting formulated needs in design developments for future studies. The description of a new Danish assessor- and patient-blinded randomized, controlled trial regarding music therapy vs. music listening for negative symptoms in schizophrenia will follow. We aimed at including these formulated needs of design development in the study, and in this chapter, we identify and describe different kinds of challenges emerging through our study, and we give some suggestions on how to cope with these. Finally, we discuss the complexity of doing controlled trials and using blinded research designs with this vulnerable population.