Group Music Therapy with Women who have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of group music therapy combined with other creative arts methods on the self-reported levels of anxiety, depression, and self-esteem in women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Assessments of dependent variables were made at entry, following the final session of the intervention, and 3 weeks later. Using a repeated measures design and post hoc analyses, participants (n = 7) reported a significant decrease in depression and a marginally significant decrease in anxiety. No significant effect was found for self-esteem. Most participants reported all interventions to be helpful and the series of sessions a positive experience. The findings suggest that active music therapy within a group context may be an effective intervention for ameliorating mood in women recovering from intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence is one of the leading causes of injury and suffering for women in the United States today. The National Women's Health Information Center (2005) stated that intimate partner violence occurs when one person purposely causes either physical or mental harm to another, including physical abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, sexual assault, isolation, [or] controlling all of the victim's money, shelter, time, food, etc. Often, the violent person is a husband, former husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, but sometimes the abuser is female. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Justice (2003) reported that 691,710 incidences of nonfatal intimate partner violence occurred in 2001. A majority of these cases (85%) involved violence against women. In 2000, 1247 women and 440 men were murdered by an intimate. It should be noted that the actual number of incidences is expected to be larger than the number of reported incidences. Glicken and Sechrest (2003) estimated that the number of people who have experienced intimate partner violence may range anywhere between 1.8 to 4 million Americans per year. Intimate partner violence has become a major societal problem for people in all social, ethnic, and economic groups in the United States (Cassity & Theobold, 1990; Kakar, 1998; Wallace, 2002). Kakar stated that the effects of intimate partner violence on society include death, medical costs, mental health costs, loss in work productivity, property loss, law enforcement costs, shelter costs, foster care costs, criminal justice system costs, advocacy costs, offender's family's costs; birth defects; alcohol and substance abuse; decrease in selfesteem; fear of crime; and ultimately an acculturation to violence. Such a list does not even begin to address the disruption and devastation that intimate partner violence imposes on a personal level. Additionally, Forell and Mathews (2000) reasoned that intimate partner violence can escalate to murder and reported that "one-third to one-half of all female homicide victims in the United States are killed by an intimate partner, most often after the woman leaves or decides to leave the relationship" (p. 159). Group treatment has been an efficacious form of intervention chosen by shelter systems and therapists working to assist women who have experienced intimate partner violence (Dutton, 1992; Larance & Porter, 2004; Shostack, 2001; Walker, 1979). Shostack noted that many shelter systems utilize both group therapy and non-therapeutic group meetings as a means to convey information; promote peer support; and to address the feelings, attitudes, and behaviors of the residents. This type of work provides opportunities for peer feedback that supports the development of residents' assertiveness and determination. Larance and Porter stated that a supportive group environment can promote a redevelopment of a woman's social support system, feelings of trust, and promote the experience of empowerment. The creative arts therapies have been used to address needs of survivors of violence (Bass-Feld, 1994; Booker, 1999; Emerson & Shelton, 2001; Milliken, 2002). …