A Study of Burnout and Multidisciplinary Team-Working amongst Professional Music Therapists

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a survey of 757 members of the British Association of Professional Music Therapists, conducted in January 7998, to investigate burnout and job satisfaction in relation to multidisciplinary team membership. Information on personal profile and employment characteristics was also sought, as music therapists are such a widely diverse group. Three aspects of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment) were measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson 7981). Factors influencing reward and dissatisfaction in the job were also assessed in relation to multidisciplinary team membership. Personal and team role clarity and team and professional identification were assessed in therapists who were members of multidisciplinary teams.Therapists who were members of multidisciplinary teams were found to have higher levels of personal accomplishment and similar levels ofemotional exhaustion and depersonalisation in comparison to those working independently. These results are discussed in relation to previous surveys of other health and social care professionals. Sources of pressure and reward differed between multidisciplinary team members and nonmembers. Music therapists who were members of multidisciplinary teams were found to have a moderate level of personal role clarity within their team and identified with their profession more than with their multidisciplinary team.

The inherent challenges in creative musical performance in a paediatric hospital setting

“…The rewards of their work were encapsulated in a powerful awareness that they were able to ‘make a difference’, even if for a short time, in the lives of the children and their carers in the hospital. The fulfilment that the musicians derived from witnessing a positive change in their clients is in line with similar findings in the literature on music therapists’ job satisfaction (Hills et al, 2000).…”

“…These were: (1) the interdisciplinary nature of music therapy; (2) being part of the growth and development of a new and expanding profession; (3) the personal and professional growth experienced through clinical practice; (4) observing the dynamic relationship between music and the patient; (5) working in a musical environment; and (6) music’s unique ability to reach across generations. Additionally, among the sources of job satisfaction the literature reports the experience of working in collaboration with other music therapists (Knoll et al, 1988), the continuous personal and professional development (Stewart, 2000), having supervisions (Sutton, 2002) and witnessing changes in one’s client (Hills, Norman, & Forster, 2000).…”

Professional identities and motivations of musicians playing in healthcare settings: Cross-cultural evidence from UK and Italy

“…The spiritual and religious motivations reported by the musicians are in line with those found by Clark and Kranz (1996) in a large sample of music therapy students, although they did not mention religious reasons explicitly but rather a general desire to help others. Another prominent theme in the literature about motivation to undertake music therapy work is “altruism” (Ben-Shem & Avi-Itzhak, 1991; Oppenheim, 1984) and the idea of witnessing changes in the audience/patients (Hills, Norman, & Forster, 2000). Both themes are present in the interviews with the Italian and UK musicians, although they might use religious language to convey the same message.…”

Don’t forget your oxygen mask! Caring for ourselves so that we can better care for our clients

“…Common stressors were identified in Clements-Cortes’ (2013) review: low remuneration, work overload, severity of clients’ problems, intensity of the therapeutic relationship, professional isolation, role ambiguity/conflict and lack of understanding of music therapy. These two latter themes had been recognised in Hills et al’s (2000) study of burnout and multi-disciplinary team-working among British Music Therapists. Their study also cited difficulties of working in a multi-disciplinary team as a potential stressor.…”