“Listen, Breathe, Move”: Piloting an online integrated group music therapy and gentle movement intervention for informal/family caregivers

Abstract

Informal/family caregiving includes over 1 billion people across the globe who provide unpaid care to an individual living with chronic health needs. The reported physical and psychosocial health needs related to caregiving are vast, but positive perceptions of caregiving aid in mitigating negative health outcomes and may help with supporting the sustainability of caregivers in their role. Music therapy and gentle movement, particularly yoga, are well-documented nonpharmacological interventions that positively impact a variety of psychosocial health outcomes of informal/family caregivers (IFCG). However, despite positive findings associated with both disciplines, there have been no investigations to date exploring the impact of a fully integration of the two disciplined delivered to IFCGs. The purpose of this investigation was thus to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a single, group integrated music therapy and gentle movement intervention for IFCGs of adults over 18-years-old, delivered synchronously online. Results of the study (N = 14) revealed significant increases in WHO-5 wellbeing scores, t = -3.07, p = 0. 01, and caregiver satisfaction (BASC), z = -2.65, p = .01 from pre to two-weeks post intervention. Results also revealed significant differences in feeling towards physical activity pre to immediately post intervention, z = -2.92, p = .004. Participants perceived many elements of the experience as beneficial and indicated a desire to take part in more robust, similar interventions. Themes emerged indicating that participants highly enjoyed and were grateful for the session, that the intervention was beneficial in improving their psychosocial health, and that the experience overall allowed a connection among participants to be built.