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Music in inpatient mental health: an ecological systems theory approach to addressing compassion fatigue
Thesis   Open access

Music in inpatient mental health: an ecological systems theory approach to addressing compassion fatigue

Clara Starr Treadway
Master of Arts (M.A.), Drexel University
Jun 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00002034
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Abstract

Compassion fatigue Inpatient Music
Compassion fatigue is a form of burnout that affects healthcare practitioners. For music therapists and other workers in an inpatient psychiatric facility, compassion fatigue may arise due to the stress of working with patients who have experienced severe trauma, or because of systemic issues such as staff shortages and low salaries. Whatever the cause, compassion fatigue affects not only practitioners, but their patients as well, as it can impact the quality of care they receive. Self-care has often been cited as a remedy for compassion fatigue. This writer explored how music can be used as part of a self-care routine for practitioners in an inpatient setting. The information is viewed through the lens of Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, and the implications of the power dynamics that exist within an inpatient facility are studied. A literature review was conducted to explore existing methods of using music to combat compassion fatigue. Additionally, three board-certified music therapists with experience working in inpatient psychiatric facilities were interviewed. They discuss their experiences witnessing compassion fatigue, either in themselves or others, and generate ideas for music as self-care. Suggestions for further research and recommendations for future practice are explored.

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