Remixing identity: Creating meaning from songs written by patients recovering from a spinal cord injury

Physical trauma that leads to a spinal cord injury can have a devastating impact on a patient’s self-identity. Therapeutic songwriting has been found to decrease symptoms of depression and increase self-concept for people who find themselves having to reconstruct their identity after experiencing a spinal cord injury following a traumatic accident. This study examines the developmental processes of self-concept through an arts-based analysis of songs (N=27) written by adult patients (N=9) who are in rehabilitation due to a road traffic injury. Four composite character portraits were revealed from the arts-based analysis, and the results are reconstructed as music compositions, which were created from sampling the original songs. Each character represents various stages of identity development post-accident: non-compliant, accepting help, creative engagement and transfiguration. Implications and future research potentials from this study have been discussed.