Measuring Supportive Music and Imagery Interventions: The Development of the Music Therapy Self-Rating Scale.

Background: Previous research has demonstrated modest benefits from music-based interventions, specifically music and imagery interventions, during cancer care. However, little attention has been paid to measuring the benefits of music-based interventions using measurement instruments specifically designed to account for the multidimensional nature of music-imagery experiences.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the development of, and psychometrically evaluate, the Music Therapy Self-Rating Scale (MTSRS) as a measure for cancer patients engaged in supportive music and imagery interventions.

Methods: An exploratory factor analysis using baseline data from 76 patients who consented to participate in a music-based intervention study during chemotherapy.

Results: Factor analysis of 14 items revealed four domains: Awareness of Body, Emotionally Focused, Personal Resources, and Treatment Specific. Internal reliability was excellent (Cronbach alphas ranging from 0.75 to 0.88) and construct and divergent-discriminant validity supported.

Conclusions: The MTSRS is a psychometrically sound, brief instrument that captures essential elements of patient experience during music and imagery interventions.