Single Case Design Studies in Music Therapy: Resurrecting Experimental Evidence in Small Group and Individual Music Therapy Clinical Settings

• Published in: The Journal of music therapy Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 293 - 309
• Main Authors: Geist, Kamile, Hitchcock, John H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01.12.2014
• Subjects: Attention Deficit Disorders; Biomedical Research; Clinical Trials as Topic; Consultation Programs; Evidence; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Meta Analysis; Music; Music therapy; Music Therapy - organization & administration; Research methodology; Sample Size; Systematic review; Teaching Methods; Validity; ABAB Design; Single Case Design; Multiple Baseline Design; Meta-Analysis of Single Case Designs; Causal Evidence in Music Therapy
• ISSN: 0022-2917; 2053-7395
• DOI: 10.1093/jmt/thu032

Background: The profession would benefit from greater and routine generation of causal evidence pertaining to the impact of music therapy interventions on client outcomes. Objective: One way to meet this goal is to revisit the use of Single Case Designs (SCDs) in clinical practice and research endeavors in music therapy. Given the appropriate setting and goals, this design can be accomplished with small sample sizes and it is often appropriate for studying music therapy interventions. Methods: In this article, we promote and discuss implementation of SCD studies in music therapy settings, review the meaning of internal study validity and by extension the notion of causality, and describe two of the most commonly used SCDs to demonstrate how they can help generate causal evidence to inform the field. Results: In closing, we describe the need for replication and future meta-analysis of SCD studies completed in music therapy settings. Conclusions: SCD studies are both feasible and appropriate for use in music therapy clinical practice settings, particularly for testing effectiveness of interventions for individuals or small groups.