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The Effects of Music and Poetry Therapy on the Treatment of Women and Adolescents with Chemical Addictions

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Journal of Poetry Therapy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music and poetry therapy on women and adolescents with chemical addictions. Eight women, ages averaging 34.9, and 12 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17, served as subjects for this analysis. All participants were clients at regional substance abuse programs. A single system design (ABABAB) was used. Six sessions alternating music and poetry were provided during the course of the six weeks. Independent variables included live and recorded music and poetry. The dependent variables included a chemical involvement questionnaire, goal attainment form, automatic thoughts questionnaire, and an observational behavior scale. Subjects served as their own control for this study. The data that were assessed are as follows: 1. Chemical involvement, 2. Automatic thoughts, 3. Weekly immediate goals, and 4. On-task behavior. These data were obtained by the viewing of video recorded sessions and specially designed checklists. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between the presented poetry and music therapy activities. The chemical involvement chart of most and least used drugs revealed that the most frequently reported drug for the adolescents was marijuana and the least used drug was a four-way tie between barbiturates, pop, heroin, and opiates. The most reported drug of choice for the women was cocaine, with amphetamines, barbiturates, heroin, and opiates receiving low ratings. The results also showed the effectiveness of the expressive arts on on-task behaviors.

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  1. Alisha A. Howard, M.M.
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Howard, M.M., A.A. The Effects of Music and Poetry Therapy on the Treatment of Women and Adolescents with Chemical Addictions. Journal of Poetry Therapy 11, 81–102 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPT.0000010860.98970.16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPT.0000010860.98970.16

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