Song/Music Suggestions for Psychiatric Patients?

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Specializes in OR,ICU,DR,Cancer,Pedia.

We're about to handle psychiatric patients with different diagnosis. I was kinda like tasked to bring the music for these patients. Apparently, the activities planned out by our instructors were these.

Acquiantance Party

Sportsfest

Art Therapy

Music and Dance Therapy

Anyone have any suggestions of songs for psychiatric patients? @_@

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If you're doing expressive therapy, which is very different from just handing people paints and instruments, then that department should be able to help guide you.

Personally, our unit consists of so many different age groups that it's impossible to please them all. But I'd go with a mix of somewhat upbeat and calming. Just look out for lyrics as well since so much music today would be inappropriate.

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birds chirpping, clarinet based music, flute based music, synthisized music, all of those are amazing

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Specializes in OB, Med-Surg.

how about calm soothing music with no words.

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i have a great assortment of meditation music at home, and i don't really even meditate. ;-) it wouldn't be appropriate for activities that feature a lot of movement, but if you need something soothing, you should definitely look into it. here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/tao-healing-dean-evenson-xiangting/dp/b00004s9pe

i have this one and "the tao of peace" as well. don't laugh at the part regarding "earth resonance frequency"...i swear it really does help with relaxation. a dear friend, ex-military, very right wing, 180 degrees from any sort of hippy mindset actually requested a couple of these cds after i played them when he and his wife were visiting one evening. he was going through chemo and said that he felt the music really did make him physically feel better!

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

Psych newbie here so take it with a grain of salt. I would say it depends on the disorder. Someone looking for hope and strength might find healing energy in worded songs like I can See Clearly. A nice mantra. Others may need the more calm, soothing synthesized stuff. There is often no more beautiful music than the human voice.

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.

i guess our hospice songs wouldn't help, huh?.....

"another one bites the dust"--queen

"leaving on a jet plane"--peter, paul, and mary

"so long,farewell, auf weidasien, goodbye"--sound of music

sorry--too many patients in the last few days and i'm getting punchy!!:uhoh3::uhoh3::uhoh3:

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i think you should play this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srIXtPr6uHs

leslie:nurse:

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The Ramones "Teenage Lobotomy"

Ozzy "Crazy Train"

can't remember who sings it "Mama we're all crazy now"

So sorry, couldn't resist, totally CRAPPY day.

True story, had a hospice pt who was actively dying and non-responsive, cna was playing the elevator music when he bolts upright in bed and says, "Turn this sh** off and put ACDC on. One of the managers had to rumage through his car to find a cd, played it and he died during Highway to Hell.

I know TOTALLY off subject. My mind works in mysterious ways.

Getting to the subject, in my experiences 50's music always seemed to work.:twocents:

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I have been conducting expressive music groups at a psychiatric hospital for years. Think about your question. That's like asking.....Song/Music Suggestions for Nurses. Everybody is an individual regardless of whether they have a psychiatric illness or not. I tend to try and play music or songs they want to hear. One of our favorite activities is where we do a Karaoke type of group where everyone takes turn singing into the microphone and the staff members are the backup band. We do all types of Rock, Country, or Pop.

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Specializes in OB.

True one here also: many years ago when I worked on a unit of deaf psych patients one of the real hits of a "variety" type show done by patients and staff was our psychologist doing an ASL accompanied version of Tom Lehrer's "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park".

Of course their favorite outing was a trip we took to Galludet Univ. to see an ASL performance of "Harvey".

Humor can be quite theraputic. (Though I wouldn't try this with most humorless admin. types)

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LOL!

I was just going to mention the Ramones!

"Teenage Lobotomy"

"I Wanna be Sedated"

"Psychotherapy"

Not GOOD to do, but hey, it's amusing to think about.

We had a respected OT who was brave enough to play "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell..."

And the young adults loved it, would sing with it like it was an anthem... and it actually lightened their mood.

Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Elvis, Motown, oldies in general, can be fun.

I have made eclectic CD's to bring into work.

The key is a mix of appropriate songs, people know, that has something for everybody.

It can be hit or miss.

Pay attention to words, though.

Good luck. Playing music is my favorite part of the day... especially when you catch your patients really enjoying it and singing along!

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