Music Therapy and Spirituality in Times of Pandemic – Online Care for Adults with Hypertension

The pandemic period required the music therapist to adapt to the characteristics of the virtual environment, using appropriate techniques to deal with the feelings arising from loss and grief, in addition to the specific demands of each clientele. In this context, Music Therapy, as a space for self-expression, provided moments in which patients' spirituality and beliefs emerged. In 2019, the update of the Cardiovascular Prevention Guideline of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (Precoma et al) included, for the first time, scientific evidence on the relationship between actions related to spirituality and religiosity and the existence of cardiovascular diseases and the prognosis for clinical outcomes. The spirituality is expressed through values, beliefs, tradition and practices (Avezum, 2020), constituting itself as a dynamic and intrinsic aspect of humanity. The presentation will address an experience report on the changes that occurred in an outpatient care project for hypertensive patients in a Brazilian university hospital (Zanini et al, 2018), taking into account the needs of the pandemic period. Group sessions were held synchronously, using the Google Meeting tool, lasting one hour. The main music therapy techniques are interactive and singing is the main activity. Other activities are breathing and relaxation with music. In the project, Music Therapy aims to provide comprehensive care to hypertensive patients, contemplating biopsychosocial aspects and meeting the main objectives of the following Public Policies of the Ministry of Health: National Policy of Humanization, National Health Policy for the Elderly, National Policy of Basic Attention and National Policy of Health Promotion, all included among the actions of the involved multidisciplinary health team.