Musiktherapie bei pädiatrischer Organtransplantation

The diagnosis of an organic illness in one's own child with the associated necessary transplantation makes considerable demands on the family. Almost all of these children have to be treated directly in hospital. Depending on the age and the severity of the child's illness, the families are exposed to numerous demands and stimuli. Even if a fatal course does not threaten all diseases, the diagnosis of a disease that is not medically curable is experienced by almost all those affected as a serious crisis. In Germany the number of physically ill people is steadily increasing. In the meantime, more than 35 percent of the German population are already chronically ill. Against this background, pressure is increasing not only on the medical sciences, but also on psychology to develop new approaches and to differentiate existing ones. Because depending on the specific character and the respective course of an illness, the stresses are varied and require - often very suddenly, sometimes slowly - a wide range of coping skills from those are affected. Almost nobody who is chronically ill is prepared for it. Therefore, the mental tools for coping with the disease are generally not sufficiently available. This often creates a vicious cycle of emotional and physical labilization, which also hinders further disease processing. The body is attacked and weakened, fainting and helplessness are increased by the coping abilities that are not or only partially available, and yet inner strength, stability and prudence are especially necessary for dealing with the disease. Music therapy during the stay in the hospital before and after a transplantation or during an outpatient treatment such as dialysis raises the claim to support the child and his caregivers in coping with the new life situation and to maintain or re-establish positive contact with each other. The music therapy is individually tailored to the needs of the children and their families and can be started or stopped at any time according to the indication or contraindication. The music therapy in the children's hospital is an important preventive measure for the stability and development of a chronically ill child and can usefully complete the existing offers of medical treatment. The first part of the book presents the area of organ transplantation in children and adolescents and the second part describes the music-therapeutic care of children and adolescents and their families during their stay or dialysis visit at University Hospital Essen. The third part of the book presents examples of active and receptive music therapy work.