Knowledge of students of the Faculty of Health Sciences about Music Therapy

Abstract

Objective: this study aims to evaluate the knowledge that students in the Medicine, Nursing, and Kinesiology programs at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Business and Social Sciences (UCES), City of Buenos Aires, possess regarding music therapy during the second semester of 2023.Methodology: descriptive study with a quantitative, cross-sectional approach. The instrument used consisted of 24 closed-ended questions and was answered by 61 students.Results: the majority of individuals were students enrolled in the Kinesiology program (44,26 %). The results indicate that 83,61 % of participants were familiar with the concept of music therapy, and 73,77 % considered it to be a safe therapy.  There was no correlation found between the level of knowledge and gender, age, or academic program. The study revealed a correlation between the level of knowledge and the likelihood of referring a patient to the music therapy service (p<0,001). The study found a strong association between the intention to recommend music therapy treatment and its perceived benefits in reducing pain (p=0,006), improving quality of life (p<0,001), reducing arousal (p<0,001), and enhancing emotional expression (p<0,001).Conclusion: the students report having a high level of knowledge about music therapy, but their self-assessment categorizes it as "poor". The knowledge of music therapy treatment and its applications correlated with the intention to refer patients to the music therapy service in the future. It is recommended that interventions be implemented to enhance the knowledge of future health care professionals about music therapy. This will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and aim to benefit patients