An exploratory study of the impact of group singing activities on lucidity, energy, focus, mood and relaxation for persons with dementia and their caregivers
An exploratory study of the impact of group singing activities on lucidity, energy, focus, mood and relaxation for persons with dementia and their caregivers
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DOI：
10.1186/s13612-014-0024-5
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发表时间：
2014-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Almeida, Renita A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Davidson, Jane W.;Almeida, Renita A.
背景：众所周知，痴呆症患者 (PWD) 面临着各种困难，其中最大的挑战包括烦躁不安以及情绪、注意力和清醒度下降。护理人员也会受到影响，他们报告压力水平增加，精力、情绪和注意力下降。本研究的目的是探讨参与歌唱项目是否可以改善残疾人和护理人员的这些变量。方法：第一阶段研究结构化歌唱课程的影响，并以口头测验作为对照活动。参与者来自社区和住宿护理环境，残疾人被诊断为轻度或中度痴呆症，他们和他们的护理人员之间的年龄没有显着差异。第二阶段探讨了对社区参与者进行为期六周干预的音乐参与的影响。结果：在一次性歌唱课程后，从歌唱前到歌唱后，所有 PWD（两组）的所有四个 PWD 变量都出现了定量的积极变化。此外，从唱歌前到唱歌后，护理人员的精力水平、情绪和注意力都得到了改善。请注意，测验对照组没有表现出这种好处。六周的集体歌唱表明，更频繁地参加歌唱小组会议会影响残疾人的清醒度、情绪和注意力的基线水平，并且护理人员的基线放松水平也会得到改善。尽管参与者很少，反映了支持歌唱团体的组织的现实情况，但每次会议都检测到变量的基线水平有所增加，这表明产生了积极的影响。定性数据提供了对残疾人及其护理人员的积极体验和强大影响的支持性见解。结论：这项探索性工作表明，使用集体歌唱来提高残疾人及其护理人员的清醒、情绪、注意力和放松的积极潜力。寻找一种廉价且简单的方法来改善痴呆症患者的生活质量至关重要，从初步数据来看，唱歌似乎可以提供这样的途径。
Background: It is known that persons with dementia (PWD) suffer a variety of difficulties, with increased agitation as well as lowered mood, focus and lucidity being amongst their greatest challenges. Caregivers are also affected and report increased stress levels, as well as lower energy, mood and focus. The aim of the current study was to explore whether engagement in a singing program could result in improvement in these variables for both PWD and Caregivers.Methods: Stage 1 investigated the impact of a structured singing session, with a verbal quiz functioning as a control activity. Participants were from both community and residential care contexts, the PWD having a diagnosis of mild or moderate dementia, and no significant differences in age between them and their caregivers. Stage 2 explored the effects of musical engagement over a six-week intervention with community- based participants.Results: After the one-off singing session, quantitative positive changes in all PWD (both groups) were found on all four PWD variables from pre- to post-singing session. Further, caregivers' energy levels, mood, and focus were improved from pre-to post-singing session. Note that the quiz control group showed no such benefit. The six weeks of group singing demonstrated that the more regular attendance at the singing group sessions affected the PWD's baseline level of lucidity, mood, and focus, and on the caregivers' baseline relaxation level improved. Though participants were few, reflecting the real world circumstance of the organisations supporting the singing groups, increases in the baseline levels of the variables were detected from session to session, suggesting positive effect. Qualitative data offered supportive insights into the positive experience and powerful impact on PWD and the carers.Conclusions: This exploratory work indicates the positive potential of using group singing to improve lucidity, mood, focus and to relax for PWD and their carers. Finding a cheap and easy route to improving quality of life for those affected by dementia is essential, and from this preliminary data it seems that singing may offer such a course.