Perceptions of Music Therapists Regarding Harp Thanatology

This descriptive study explored the prevalence of the usage of harp thanatology in life-to-death transitional care and the perceived benefits and barriers to offering harp thanatology by board-certified music therapists in the state of Kansas. Participants in the study comprised a convenience sample of 31 board-certified music therapists currently practicing in the state of Kansas. This study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive design with online survey methodology. The survey questionnaire was adapted from a tool developed by Gagner-Tjellesen (2001) using Likert-style questions. Data was collected over a two-month period and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results of this study revealed that the majority of music therapists did not use harp music with life-to-death transitional care patients, although all of the music therapists stated they were comfortable with offering harp therapy, valued harp therapy as a therapeutic modality, and were willing to offer harp therapy to their patients. In addition, all of the music therapists stated they felt comfortable discussing the option of using harp therapy, and felt their peers, physicians, and administration would support the use of harp therapy with their patients. All of the music therapists stated they had access to literature that reviewed the use of harp therapy in life-to-death transitional care patients and had found the studies and analyses understandable; however, they also stated they did not feel comfortable with their knowledge of harp therapy. This indicates a need for more education and exposure to harp therapy in thanatology.