An Introduction and Evaluation of a Preventive Music Therapy Intervention in the Context of Poverty: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Poverty is a serious health problem accompanied by many consequential risk factors, that exist within Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. These environmental and parental risk factors lead to complex trauma and toxic stress. When traumatic events occur early in life, there is a detrimental impact on the development of attachment, self-regulation, language development, and social skills. Preventive interventions can help support these impacted developmental areas. One preventive intervention, Therapist and Music Attuned Co-regulation (TMAC), was developed at an inner-city child development center (ICCDC). This research establishes the theoretical foundation of this intervention within the context of the needs of children and families living in poverty. In addition, a conceptual framework will be discussed and compared to these theoretical foundations. This research includes an evaluation of this intervention and whether it addresses the identified needs of the population, followed by future recommendations to further address the effectiveness of the intervention.