[The institutional presence of music therapists in aphasia therapy in Hungary]

Numerous international studies have reported on the relevance of music therapy for aphasia, but music-based therapy for the rehabilitation of acquired language and speech disorders is not common in the clinical practice of Hungary.

The aim of our study is to provide insights into the composition of professional teams involved in aphasia care in active neurology and stroke wards and rehabilitation departments in Hungarian hospitals, with a special focus on the presence of music therapists. We are looking for the answer to why the employment of music therapists in hospitals is so low in our country.

For our research, we selected the relevant institutions and departments from a list of hospitals on the website of the National Directorate General for Hospitals. Data were then collected from the websites of the hospital departments, supplemented or clarified with information from the head of department's physicians where necessary.

None of the active neurology and stroke wards employ a music therapist. Two of the rehabilitation wards have a total of 4 music therapists.

The low number of trained professionals in music therapy for aphasia is due to financial reasons, lack of professionals and lack of professional demand.

Our research shows that music therapy is deeply underrepresented in the field of aphasia rehabilitation in Hungarian hospitals. The reasons for this are quite diverse and their elimination would require effective intervention in many areas. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(19): 747-752.