Music Therapy at SingHealth

Abstract

Since the first official music therapy program was started in 2005, clinical services and research activities have started to have a modest impact across the SingHealth network. While tracking the milestones achieved, this paper will detail some of the challenges that were encountered when pioneering music therapy within a healthcare cluster in Singapore: namely, funding and debunking common misconceptions. Strategies to bridge cultural adaptations and overcome systemic funding challenges included piloting a wide range of clinical programs, and tapping into research, grant, or other third party funding. Ongoing work is being carried out to frame adjunctive clinical treatment pathways within the acute, rehabilitation, and long-term care settings.