Music Therapy, a Personalised Bridge Towards Healing Beyond Surgery and Medication: European Paediatrics Overview

Music therapy as WHO acknowledged healthcare profession can optimise the quality of life for people of any age and can improve their physical, social, communicative, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health. In particular, children have a natural interest in music; this can be utilised by the fact that they experience the stimulating motor and auditory activities in music more associated with play or fun than work or treatment. The efficacy of music therapy methods in paediatric fields as neuropaediatric care, social paediatrics, neonatology, paedaudiology and CI-rehabilitation, oncology, palliative care/pain management and paediatric psychiatry and psychotherapy has been evaluated in clinical studies in the last three decades with great success, so that this approach can be considered as important part in the healthcare in general. The article offers an overview on all different practice methods used in those areas linked with recent research findings and gives with the Music Therapy Master Programme at the University Liepaja/Latvia an example, how to implement music therapy including academic training, practice service and research development in the healthcare system of a whole country. The practice experiences of this approach and the research work performed so far in combination with a model of implementation, offers a new perspective for the healthcare, which is beneficial and practicable.