ARTICLE REVIEW FORM

Article title:
Injury and the Orchestral Environment: Part III, The Role of Psychosocial
Factors in the Experience of Musicians Undertaking Rehabilitation
Authors:
Dale L. L. Rickert, BMus, PhD, Margaret S. Barret, PhK, and Bronwen J.
Ackermann, PhD
Journal Name:
Science and Medicine, September 2014
Date retrieved:
February 9, 2015
Central issue or problem addressed by this study:
How the orchestral workplace environment contributes to injury risk.
This article builds on previous articles of (1) how work organization and
psychosocial factors contribute to increased injury risk for orchestral
musicians and (2) possible role of orchestral culture, behavioral norms, and
attitudes to injury on injury outcomes for orchestral musicians. This article
documents in detail the experience of three musicians suffering from chronic
and debilitating injuries.
Related literature cited in this study:
Examples (author, date, journal)
1. Rickert DL, Barrett MS, Ackermann BJ, Injury and the orchestral
environment: pt I. The role of work organization and psychosocial
factors in Injury risk. Med Probl Perform Art 2013; 28(4):219-9
2. Hall T., A musicians view of music medicine. Med Prolb Perform Art
1986; 1(1):2.
3. Kemp AE. The Musical Temperament: Psychology and Personality of
Musicians. Oxford: Oxford Univ Press; 1996
4. Chmelar RD. Health insurance and workers compensation: issues for
performing artists. Med Probl Perform Art 1990;5:67-71.

Design & Procedures:

Three cellists took part in a semi-structured in-dephth interview with
four question categories:
1. Injury disclosure, progression and treatment- the conceal and
crash phenomenon
2. The psychological effect of injury
3. Social support and the influence of collegial attitudes
4. Experiences with the medical community and injury insurance
policies

Implications for music education:

Information should be supplied to musicians about risks of playing with
injury. For orchestras, this would mean the creation of a safe-work culture
where playing with pain is seen as unacceptable and injury disclosure is seen
as normal.
Depression was related to injury stigmatization and social isolation. Stress
and worry of injuries jeopardizing ability to play instruments were concerns.
The practice of giving musicians new workplace roles should be important,
which eases identity crisis and social contact. Access to psychological
treatment as rehabilitation is also important.
Orchestral employees need to be made aware of potential role in creating
optimal psychosocial conditions for their injured colleagues to heal.
Players only sought rehabilitation through workplace insurance once injuries
were so sever they were unable to play. Addressing creative and
psychological needs o players as part of treatment process was identified as
a strategy to reduce suffering, and the chronicity, associated with musicians
injuries.