Clare O'Callaghan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Clare O'Callaghan
The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 2013
Clare O’Callaghan & Jane Edwards (2018). Music Therapy and Spiritual Care. In: Carey, L.B. &a... more Clare O’Callaghan & Jane Edwards (2018). Music Therapy and Spiritual Care. In: Carey, L.B. & Mathisen, B.A. Spiritual Care for Allied Health Practice: A Person-Centered Approach (Chapter 8: pp: 162-182). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers [ISBN 9781785922206]. DOI10.4225/22/5ae180d70f71cSummary: Music therapy refers to the use of music-based methods in a professional relationship to improve biopsychosocial and spiritual wellbeing. In music therapy, patients and families tend to choose or play music that elicits feelings, thoughts, images, memories, spiritual states, and people with which/whom they want to be connected. When caring for people affected by life-threatening conditions, music therapists’ aims are similar to those of pastoral care workers/chaplains. This chapter presents research findings and case studies to illustrate how music therapists offer generalist spiritual care to support patients and their families.
The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 2009
Includes references. Review(s) of: Melody in Music Therapy: A Therapeutic Narrative Analysis, by ... more Includes references. Review(s) of: Melody in Music Therapy: A Therapeutic Narrative Analysis, by Aldridge, G., and Aldridge, D. (2008), London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 342 pages, Cost: AUS $45.95.
Journal of Global Oncology, Oct 1, 2018
Background: Human health and nature is an emerging research field exploring…
Psycho-oncology, May 25, 2021
Objective: Doctors working in palliative care services are exposed to challenging emotional envir... more Objective: Doctors working in palliative care services are exposed to challenging emotional environments almost daily. Strong-emotional reactions experienced in this setting have implications for patient care and doctor wellbeing. Existing research has not focused on doctors working in specialist palliative care. This study aimed to understand what strong emotional reactions are experienced by doctors working in specialist palliative care, the cause of these strong emotional reactions and the impact they have on the lives of palliative care doctors. Methods: Qualitative descriptive design included grounded theory techniques. Semistructured, audio-recorded individual interviews explored doctors' memories of strong emotional reactions and challenging aspects in palliative care work, how emotions were managed and affected doctors' lives. Setting/participants: Twenty doctors were recruited from a specialist palliative care service within a public health network in Melbourne, Australia, comprising of two inpatient units, a consult service and outpatient clinic. Results: Palliative care doctors experience a myriad of strong emotions in their line of work. Experiences found to elicit strong emotional reactions included patient, family and staff distress and organizational issues. Strong emotional reactions impacted clinical behaviours, patient care and doctors' personal lives. Strategies developed for managing strong emotional reactions included debrief, setting boundaries, avoidance and self-reflection, along with nonwork strategies such as time with family.
Psycho-oncology, Feb 13, 2023
ObjectivePatients with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) commonly report poor understanding of thei... more ObjectivePatients with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) commonly report poor understanding of their illness and high levels of psychological distress. Despite the potential benefits to CUP patients, there is a paucity of research exploring the reasons behind poor understanding of a CUP diagnosis. The aim of this study was to understand patients' experiences of communication with doctors, their understanding of diagnosis and the role of genomic testing, as well as their information needs.MethodsSemi‐structured interviews explored CUP patients' perceptions of communication with their doctors, understanding of their illness, and their needs regarding medical information. Qualitative inductive thematic analysis of transcribed audio‐recordings was employed.Setting/ParticipantsNineteen patients were recruited from within a prospective cohort study involving routine genomic testing of CUP patients.ResultsCUP patients had varied perceptions of communication with doctors as well as different levels of need, readiness, and capacity for information. Some patients felt well understood and supported by their doctors while others did not. Many patients reported feeling overwhelmed and shocked when receiving their cancer diagnosis and emphasized the importance of family support in receiving and understanding medical information. While patients understood the implications of genomic testing for treatment and diagnosis, few had a detailed understanding of genomic testing.ConclusionsPatients' experience of communication and understanding of CUP could be potentially improved by clinicians' assessment of the communication style preferred by each patient and their family and the development of online resources to meet their evolving information needs.
Australasian Psychiatry, Sep 22, 2020
Objective: A 'cancer care observation' (CCO) empathy training is described. This study examined p... more Objective: A 'cancer care observation' (CCO) empathy training is described. This study examined psychiatry trainees' experience of CCO and cancer patients' experience of being observed. Method: Trainees were paired with consenting patients undergoing cancer treatment; they observed a number of cancer treatment sessions and chronicled their experiences. The observations were discussed in supervision. Semistructured interviews were conducted with trainees and observed patients. Observation journals and transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative description. Results: Seven trainees participated. Three themes emerged: patients used trainees to support themselves while trainees struggled with role identities; CCO extends trainees' professional awareness and can benefit patients; and staff reactions were mixed. Trainees developed wide-ranging, empathic insights into cancer and hospital care experiences. No patient regarded CCO as intrusive. Conclusions: Trainees garnered insights from CCO as they generated clinical hypotheses, learnt about professional boundaries and gained first-hand experience of unconscious mental processes based on their empathic connections. CCO lends itself to psychiatry and, potentially, other medical trainees.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Apr 7, 2015
Music is intricately woven into the fabrics of life and takes on deeper significance during times... more Music is intricately woven into the fabrics of life and takes on deeper significance during times of transition, loss, and grief. Reproduced from Magill, L. Art therapy and music therapy, p. 425, in Holland J.C. et al.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 1, 2015
Music is intricately woven into the fabrics of life and takes on deeper significance during times... more Music is intricately woven into the fabrics of life and takes on deeper significance during times of transition, loss, and grief. Reproduced from Magill, L. Art therapy and music therapy, p. 425, in Holland J.C. et al.
Music Therapy Perspectives, 1999
Journal of Music Therapy, Jun 1, 1996
The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 1996
... Databases in use: Health Collection; Change databases. ... Back to Table of Contents. ... Ima... more ... Databases in use: Health Collection; Change databases. ... Back to Table of Contents. ... Image of Publication Full content available. More information about this publication. Australian Journal of Music Therapy. Volume 7 Issue 1996 (1996). ...
Music Therapy Perspectives, 1997
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Nov 1, 2022
Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 1, 2022
Pastoral and spiritual care are important dimensions of the care of patients with advanced cancer... more Pastoral and spiritual care are important dimensions of the care of patients with advanced cancer in Australian palliative care. This chapter examines the perceptions of 271 patients and 109 caregivers about the place of spirituality/religion in their lives, whether it supported coping, their level of spiritual well-being, and the impact of spiritual support from hospitals and local communities. A Spiritual Concerns Checklist was developed and validated to screen for unidentified spiritual concerns. Two-thirds of the respondents considered spirituality important to them and one-third unimportant; yet over three-quarters of them viewed spiritual care as an appropriate service to provide, and two-thirds reported at least one spiritual concern. These findings suggest that the concept of “hospitality” provides an ethos of care and routine screening for spiritual concerns is an important element of spiritual care. Together, they respectfully convey humanistic medicine based on person- and family-centered care. These dimensions of care are suitable for the increasingly multicultural and secular Australian society.
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Sep 24, 2019
Background: Spiritual care is integral to palliative care. It engenders a sense of purpose, meani... more Background: Spiritual care is integral to palliative care. It engenders a sense of purpose, meaning, and connectedness to the sacred or important and may support caregiver well-being. Aim: To examine caregivers' spirituality, religiosity, spiritual wellbeing, and views on spiritual/religious support. Design: A mixed-methods study across 4 Australian sites, recruiting caregivers of patients with a life expectancy of under 12 months. The anonymous semistructured questionnaire used included research team developed and adapted questions examining religion/spirituality's role and support and views on hospitals supporting spiritual/ religious requirements. It additionally included the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12). Results: One hundred nine caregivers participated (47.4% responded). Median spiritual well-being was 30.5 on FACIT-Sp-12. Religious affiliation was associated with higher Faith subscores (P < .001). Spirituality was very important to 24.5%, religiosity to 28.2%, and unimportant to 31.4% and 35.9%, respectively. Caregivers prayed (P ¼ .005) and meditated (P ¼ .006) more following patients' diagnoses, gaining comfort, guidance, and strength. Caregivers whose spiritual/religious needs were met to moderate/full extent by external religious/faith communities (23.8%) reported greater spiritual well-being (P < .001). Hospitals supported moderate/full caregiver spiritual needs in 19.3%. Pastoral care visits comforted 84.4% of those who received them (n ¼ 32) but elicited discomfort in 15.6%. Caregivers also emphasized the importance of humane staff and organizational tone in supporting spiritual care. Conclusions: Hospital-based spiritual care providers should seek to identify those who seek pastoral or religiously orientated care. Genuine hospitality of showing concern for the other ensures the varied yet inevitably humanist requirements of the caregiver community are met.
Music Therapy Perspectives, 1998
BMJ Open, Oct 1, 2021
To cite: Perera SM, O'Callaghan C, Ugalde A, et al. Codesigning a supportive online resource for ... more To cite: Perera SM, O'Callaghan C, Ugalde A, et al. Codesigning a supportive online resource for Australian cancer carers: a thematic analysis of informal carers' and healthcare professionals' perspectives about carers' responsibilities and content needs. BMJ Open 2021;11:e055026.
PubMed, 2001
A music therapy research study aimed at understanding patients', visitors' and staff members' exp... more A music therapy research study aimed at understanding patients', visitors' and staff members' experiences of a music therapy program in a cancer hospital over a three-month period is described. Respondents' answers to brief open-ended questions, as well as the music therapist researcher's interpretations of the program's relevance, were examined using thematic analysis based on grounded theory. ATLAS.ti software supported data management and analysis. Themes encapsulating 128 patients' reflections about music therapy were delineated and substantiate how music therapy can support palliative care aims throughout the cancer illness trajectory.
Journal of The Society for Integrative Oncology, 2006
The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 2013
Clare O’Callaghan & Jane Edwards (2018). Music Therapy and Spiritual Care. In: Carey, L.B. &a... more Clare O’Callaghan & Jane Edwards (2018). Music Therapy and Spiritual Care. In: Carey, L.B. & Mathisen, B.A. Spiritual Care for Allied Health Practice: A Person-Centered Approach (Chapter 8: pp: 162-182). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers [ISBN 9781785922206]. DOI10.4225/22/5ae180d70f71cSummary: Music therapy refers to the use of music-based methods in a professional relationship to improve biopsychosocial and spiritual wellbeing. In music therapy, patients and families tend to choose or play music that elicits feelings, thoughts, images, memories, spiritual states, and people with which/whom they want to be connected. When caring for people affected by life-threatening conditions, music therapists’ aims are similar to those of pastoral care workers/chaplains. This chapter presents research findings and case studies to illustrate how music therapists offer generalist spiritual care to support patients and their families.
The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 2009
Includes references. Review(s) of: Melody in Music Therapy: A Therapeutic Narrative Analysis, by ... more Includes references. Review(s) of: Melody in Music Therapy: A Therapeutic Narrative Analysis, by Aldridge, G., and Aldridge, D. (2008), London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 342 pages, Cost: AUS $45.95.
Journal of Global Oncology, Oct 1, 2018
Background: Human health and nature is an emerging research field exploring…
Psycho-oncology, May 25, 2021
Objective: Doctors working in palliative care services are exposed to challenging emotional envir... more Objective: Doctors working in palliative care services are exposed to challenging emotional environments almost daily. Strong-emotional reactions experienced in this setting have implications for patient care and doctor wellbeing. Existing research has not focused on doctors working in specialist palliative care. This study aimed to understand what strong emotional reactions are experienced by doctors working in specialist palliative care, the cause of these strong emotional reactions and the impact they have on the lives of palliative care doctors. Methods: Qualitative descriptive design included grounded theory techniques. Semistructured, audio-recorded individual interviews explored doctors' memories of strong emotional reactions and challenging aspects in palliative care work, how emotions were managed and affected doctors' lives. Setting/participants: Twenty doctors were recruited from a specialist palliative care service within a public health network in Melbourne, Australia, comprising of two inpatient units, a consult service and outpatient clinic. Results: Palliative care doctors experience a myriad of strong emotions in their line of work. Experiences found to elicit strong emotional reactions included patient, family and staff distress and organizational issues. Strong emotional reactions impacted clinical behaviours, patient care and doctors' personal lives. Strategies developed for managing strong emotional reactions included debrief, setting boundaries, avoidance and self-reflection, along with nonwork strategies such as time with family.
Psycho-oncology, Feb 13, 2023
ObjectivePatients with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) commonly report poor understanding of thei... more ObjectivePatients with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) commonly report poor understanding of their illness and high levels of psychological distress. Despite the potential benefits to CUP patients, there is a paucity of research exploring the reasons behind poor understanding of a CUP diagnosis. The aim of this study was to understand patients' experiences of communication with doctors, their understanding of diagnosis and the role of genomic testing, as well as their information needs.MethodsSemi‐structured interviews explored CUP patients' perceptions of communication with their doctors, understanding of their illness, and their needs regarding medical information. Qualitative inductive thematic analysis of transcribed audio‐recordings was employed.Setting/ParticipantsNineteen patients were recruited from within a prospective cohort study involving routine genomic testing of CUP patients.ResultsCUP patients had varied perceptions of communication with doctors as well as different levels of need, readiness, and capacity for information. Some patients felt well understood and supported by their doctors while others did not. Many patients reported feeling overwhelmed and shocked when receiving their cancer diagnosis and emphasized the importance of family support in receiving and understanding medical information. While patients understood the implications of genomic testing for treatment and diagnosis, few had a detailed understanding of genomic testing.ConclusionsPatients' experience of communication and understanding of CUP could be potentially improved by clinicians' assessment of the communication style preferred by each patient and their family and the development of online resources to meet their evolving information needs.
Australasian Psychiatry, Sep 22, 2020
Objective: A 'cancer care observation' (CCO) empathy training is described. This study examined p... more Objective: A 'cancer care observation' (CCO) empathy training is described. This study examined psychiatry trainees' experience of CCO and cancer patients' experience of being observed. Method: Trainees were paired with consenting patients undergoing cancer treatment; they observed a number of cancer treatment sessions and chronicled their experiences. The observations were discussed in supervision. Semistructured interviews were conducted with trainees and observed patients. Observation journals and transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative description. Results: Seven trainees participated. Three themes emerged: patients used trainees to support themselves while trainees struggled with role identities; CCO extends trainees' professional awareness and can benefit patients; and staff reactions were mixed. Trainees developed wide-ranging, empathic insights into cancer and hospital care experiences. No patient regarded CCO as intrusive. Conclusions: Trainees garnered insights from CCO as they generated clinical hypotheses, learnt about professional boundaries and gained first-hand experience of unconscious mental processes based on their empathic connections. CCO lends itself to psychiatry and, potentially, other medical trainees.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Apr 7, 2015
Music is intricately woven into the fabrics of life and takes on deeper significance during times... more Music is intricately woven into the fabrics of life and takes on deeper significance during times of transition, loss, and grief. Reproduced from Magill, L. Art therapy and music therapy, p. 425, in Holland J.C. et al.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 1, 2015
Music is intricately woven into the fabrics of life and takes on deeper significance during times... more Music is intricately woven into the fabrics of life and takes on deeper significance during times of transition, loss, and grief. Reproduced from Magill, L. Art therapy and music therapy, p. 425, in Holland J.C. et al.
Music Therapy Perspectives, 1999
Journal of Music Therapy, Jun 1, 1996
The Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 1996
... Databases in use: Health Collection; Change databases. ... Back to Table of Contents. ... Ima... more ... Databases in use: Health Collection; Change databases. ... Back to Table of Contents. ... Image of Publication Full content available. More information about this publication. Australian Journal of Music Therapy. Volume 7 Issue 1996 (1996). ...
Music Therapy Perspectives, 1997
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Nov 1, 2022
Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 1, 2022
Pastoral and spiritual care are important dimensions of the care of patients with advanced cancer... more Pastoral and spiritual care are important dimensions of the care of patients with advanced cancer in Australian palliative care. This chapter examines the perceptions of 271 patients and 109 caregivers about the place of spirituality/religion in their lives, whether it supported coping, their level of spiritual well-being, and the impact of spiritual support from hospitals and local communities. A Spiritual Concerns Checklist was developed and validated to screen for unidentified spiritual concerns. Two-thirds of the respondents considered spirituality important to them and one-third unimportant; yet over three-quarters of them viewed spiritual care as an appropriate service to provide, and two-thirds reported at least one spiritual concern. These findings suggest that the concept of “hospitality” provides an ethos of care and routine screening for spiritual concerns is an important element of spiritual care. Together, they respectfully convey humanistic medicine based on person- and family-centered care. These dimensions of care are suitable for the increasingly multicultural and secular Australian society.
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Sep 24, 2019
Background: Spiritual care is integral to palliative care. It engenders a sense of purpose, meani... more Background: Spiritual care is integral to palliative care. It engenders a sense of purpose, meaning, and connectedness to the sacred or important and may support caregiver well-being. Aim: To examine caregivers' spirituality, religiosity, spiritual wellbeing, and views on spiritual/religious support. Design: A mixed-methods study across 4 Australian sites, recruiting caregivers of patients with a life expectancy of under 12 months. The anonymous semistructured questionnaire used included research team developed and adapted questions examining religion/spirituality's role and support and views on hospitals supporting spiritual/ religious requirements. It additionally included the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12). Results: One hundred nine caregivers participated (47.4% responded). Median spiritual well-being was 30.5 on FACIT-Sp-12. Religious affiliation was associated with higher Faith subscores (P < .001). Spirituality was very important to 24.5%, religiosity to 28.2%, and unimportant to 31.4% and 35.9%, respectively. Caregivers prayed (P ¼ .005) and meditated (P ¼ .006) more following patients' diagnoses, gaining comfort, guidance, and strength. Caregivers whose spiritual/religious needs were met to moderate/full extent by external religious/faith communities (23.8%) reported greater spiritual well-being (P < .001). Hospitals supported moderate/full caregiver spiritual needs in 19.3%. Pastoral care visits comforted 84.4% of those who received them (n ¼ 32) but elicited discomfort in 15.6%. Caregivers also emphasized the importance of humane staff and organizational tone in supporting spiritual care. Conclusions: Hospital-based spiritual care providers should seek to identify those who seek pastoral or religiously orientated care. Genuine hospitality of showing concern for the other ensures the varied yet inevitably humanist requirements of the caregiver community are met.
Music Therapy Perspectives, 1998
BMJ Open, Oct 1, 2021
To cite: Perera SM, O'Callaghan C, Ugalde A, et al. Codesigning a supportive online resource for ... more To cite: Perera SM, O'Callaghan C, Ugalde A, et al. Codesigning a supportive online resource for Australian cancer carers: a thematic analysis of informal carers' and healthcare professionals' perspectives about carers' responsibilities and content needs. BMJ Open 2021;11:e055026.
PubMed, 2001
A music therapy research study aimed at understanding patients', visitors' and staff members' exp... more A music therapy research study aimed at understanding patients', visitors' and staff members' experiences of a music therapy program in a cancer hospital over a three-month period is described. Respondents' answers to brief open-ended questions, as well as the music therapist researcher's interpretations of the program's relevance, were examined using thematic analysis based on grounded theory. ATLAS.ti software supported data management and analysis. Themes encapsulating 128 patients' reflections about music therapy were delineated and substantiate how music therapy can support palliative care aims throughout the cancer illness trajectory.
Journal of The Society for Integrative Oncology, 2006