The occupational and psychological effects of injuries on musicians

When musicians acquire injuries that interfere with their ability to play their instruments, it is not only the affected body part and physical symptoms that affect them. My own experiences following a wrist injury, that prevented me from playing the piano during my student years, prompted this study. I had hoped to become a concert pianist. These hopes were dashed when I realized that my wrist injuries were interfering with my ability to play the piano and resulted in emotional and psychological stress. As a result I had to re-evaluate my career choice. In this qualitative study, I investigated the broader experience affecting the occupational and emotional health of musicians. For this purpose, I used the qualitative method of a focus group and reflection on my own experience. A recognized theoretical model, the Model of Human Occupation, underpinned by the theory of human occupation was used as a framework. The data was gathered through the use of a focus group discussion of three participants, including myself. The discussion was audio-recorded and transcribed. The analysis was done by coding the data for categories and searching for themes. I adopted a reflective stance by including an autobiographical account of my own experience. The results revealed that the injuries suffered by the three participants had a vast impact on their occupational well-being as well as their psychological and emotional health. Two themes emerged from analysis of the data: My injury affected my occupation and I was forced to adapt to an alternative occupation