Date
9-19-2024
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education (PhD)
Chair
Karen Kuehmann
Keywords
stress management, pregnancy, prenatal, music, holistic, alternative
Disciplines
Medical Specialties | Music
Recommended Citation
Dixon, Danielle Emily, "A Holistic Approach to Music for Stress Management During Pregnancy" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6005.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6005
Abstract
Pregnancy is a transformative journey for women, but amidst the excitement and anticipation that most women experience, pregnancy often raises stress levels to profound heights for various reasons, which may include hormonal fluctuations, physical discomforts, concerns about the baby’s health, financial pressures, relationship changes, fear of labor and birth, life adjustments, and societal expectations. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine how music interventions impacted stress levels during pregnancy. This two-week study employed an in-person group experiment involving pregnant women. The study sample was selected via voluntary response sampling, where pregnant women volunteered to participate in the program study. Study participants took part in an evidence-based two-week stress management music class. Before beginning the class, participants responded to a qualitative entrance questionnaire so that the researcher could obtain baseline stress levels for each woman. During the two-week music class, women learned stress-reducing musical techniques and were given a music protocol to use daily at home. After the completion of the two-week session, participants completed a qualitative exit questionnaire to re-evaluate their stress levels following the two-week music session. Existing literature in this area of study guided the development of the entrance and exit questionnaires, as well as the development of activities, exercises, and music used in the eight-week music classes. The data collected from entrance and exit interviews were categorized and organized by keywords to show the most common responses among the participants. The data from the above procedures were analyzed to determine how music can be effective for stress management during pregnancy.
