The Effect of Group Music Therapy on the Social Function and Interpersonal Relationship in Outpatients with Schizophrenia / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of group music therapy on social function and interpersonal relationships in outpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A total of 24 outpatients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (with music therapy 12 patients) or a control group (without music therapy 12 patients). Patients assigned to the experimental group received 18 sessions of group music therapy at Iksan Community Mental Health Center. Twenty individuals with schizophrenia completed a battery of measures, including the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Social Skill Scale, Korean-Social Functioning Scale (SFS-K), Interpersonal Functioning Scale, and the Relationship Change Scale at baseline and end point. RESULTS: After 18 sessions of group music therapy, the experimental group showed significant improvements compared with the control group in the PANSS (positive, negative, general psychopathology), GAF, social skill, interpersonal relationship, some SFS-K domains (social withdrawal, recreation, independence performance), and some Relationship Change Scale domains (communication, confidence, affection, openness, understanding). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that group music therapy seems to be effective for treatment of psychopathology, social function, and interpersonal relationships of schizophrenic patients. However, the small sample size was a limitation of this study.