MUSIC INTERVENTION AS A TOOL FOR WELL-BEING : A Pilot Project at a Family Group Home for Unaccompanied Minors

Mina Mirzakhani-Moghaddam; Johnny Abdallah. Music Intervention as a Tool for Well-Being: A Pilot Project at a Family Group Home for Unaccompanied Minors. Helsinki, Autumn 2018. 49 pages plus appendices. Language: English. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Degree Programme in Social Services, focus in Community Development. Degree: Bachelor of Social Services. This project-oriented thesis represents a record of a pilot project that was realized by social services students. Carried out in collaboration with unaccompanied minors and the family group home in southern Finland at which they reside, a music session was organized during which one unaccompanied minor participant took part. Centered on the arts-based method of music performance, the music session was used as an intervention tool in order to positively impact the subjective well-being of the unaccompanied minors. Utilizing prior research from the field, the report presents background information on the plight of the target group, highlighting the challenges facing them. It also features definitions of the key concepts at the heart of this undertaking. Furthermore, the reader will find the process of the project described, including the planning, implementation, as well as the outcome. The impact of the music session appeared to support the belief that music can be beneficial to an individual’s well-being. Rounding off the report is a reflection of what was achieved within the conclusions. As a result, this work intends to shed light on the challenges that this type of project may face at different phases. Additionally, it could serve as a blueprint and justification for the family group home to incorporate further arts-based activities in the future. It could also be used by other professionals in the field, working with different target groups, for similar purposes