Music Intervention, Agitation, Quality of Life and Repetitive Behaviour in People with a Form of Intellectual Disability: A Brief Pilot Report

Abstract

Background: Music intervention gains increasing evidence throughout the literature. Objective: This study investigated to what extent music intervention is applied in a structured way to people with a form of intellectual disability, and whether its application is related to agitation, repetitive behaviour, and quality of life. Method: Consequently, a survey was administered analysing to what extent music is applied, and whether it is applied in the context of agitation, repetitive behaviour, and quality of life. Results: A first finding is that clients are exposed to music daily - 2,5 h-3 h of music listening per day - without a specific purpose, i.e. not specifically to reduce e.g. agitation. Furthermore the results show low levels of agitation and repetitive behaviour as well as high quality of life. Conclusions: Music interventions - passively or actively - remain an important part of a clients’ everyday life. Nonetheless, more research is needed to show more compelling and clear results. Keywords: Music therapy, Music intervention, Intellectual disability, Agitation, Quality of life, Repetitive behavior