MELODIC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
MELODIC: co-developing a Music therapy intervention Embedded in the Life Of Dementia Inpatient mental health Care to reduce agitation and related physical assaults
IRAS ID
323503
Contact name
Ming-Hung Hsu
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Anglia Ruskin University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 28 days
Research summary
Distress is common for people with dementia on hospital mental health wards, but music might help. Distress may be a result of symptoms, like hallucinations, or because the care they receive does not meet their needs. If a person with dementia is so distressed that they put themselves or others at risk, they may be admitted to a hospital mental health ward. The aim of the stay is to understand and treat their distress.
It is hard to care for someone who is very frightened and distressed and both staff and patients can get hurt (physical assaults are common). Calming medications (antipsychotics) are often used to treat distress on these wards. This is a worry because research suggests that these increase the risks of falls and death.
Music therapy has helped lower distress for people with dementia living in care homes, and supported staff to understand why someone might be distressed. But we do not know enough about how music therapy can help people with dementia in mental health wards. We found that on the days music therapy took place there were fewer assaults and staff could see a positive impact. But not all mental health wards have music therapy.
In this eighteen-month project, we will create a music therapy manual for mental health wards together with people with dementia, their families and staff with the aim of reducing distress and assaults. We will do this by:
Stage 1. Talking to people with dementia, relatives and staff with experience of mental health wards about how distress and assaults are currently managed and their support needs.
Stage 2. Co-creating a music therapy manual with people with dementia, relatives and staff.
Stage 3/4. Testing the music therapy manual over four weeks on two mental health wards.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/YH/0155
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jul 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion