Research Strategies to Achieve a Deeper Understanding of Active Music Therapy in Neonatal Care

Abstract

Music therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an emerging field with various active and receptive approaches. Research in this area has predominantly focused on evaluating the effects of receptive stimulation programs on the premature infant using primarily quantitative study designs. Methodological questions about how to approach the phenomenon of active music therapy with flexible designs still need to be addressed. This article proposes a flexible methodology that achieves a deep understanding of the therapeutic process of active music therapy in premature infants and their parents using a qualitative, multiperspective study design based on the principles of therapeutic narrative analysis.