Writing lyrics, making videos helped them get through grueling treatment, connect with others, study found
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Mary Brophy Marcus
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Jefri Franks says one of the things that helped her 12-year-old daughter Heather cope with the challenges of having cancer was music therapy -- in particular, making a music video.
"I was relieved during the time she was doing the video because she had something she had to do and enjoy," Franks said. "She was busy in a good way. I think she got to tell her story the way she wanted to."
A new study from Indiana University appears to back up what Franks learned more than a decade ago. Researchers found that adolescents and young adults undergoing cancer treatment in the hospital who participated in a music therapy program that included writing song lyrics and producing videos increased their ability to cope and boosted their resilience.
For the study, published online Jan. 27 in the journal Cancer, researchers tested a music therapy intervention in 113 patients, aged 11 to 24, who were undergoing stem cell transplants for cancer. The treatment involves infusions of healthy stem cells that help replace diseased ones.
"The kids are usually very sick during stem cell transplants. They require a lot of supportive care," said study co-author Joan Haase, a professor of pediatric oncology nursing at the Indiana University School of Nursing. "Depending on the type of transplant, up to 50 percent of these kids undergoing stem cell transplant don't survive, so being able to say how they feel about that is important."
The patients were randomly assigned into either a therapeutic music video-making group or to a comparison group in which everyone received audio books. There were six sessions over three weeks.
The music therapist's role was to offer structure and support, and to help the young patients reflect on their experiences and identify what was important to them, said study lead author Sheri Robb, an associate professor at Indiana University School of Nursing and editor of the Journal of Music Therapy.
"It may seem counterintuitive to be asking kids to do things during this time, but in actuality it's helping them to move through their treatment in a better way," Robb said. Music therapists encouraged their patients to tap into important parts of their lives, including their spirituality, family and other relationships, she explained.
The phases of the intervention included writing song lyrics, making sound recordings, collecting video images and storyboarding. Patients could work independently or involve family, friends and health care providers in their projects, the authors noted.
Haase said the therapeutic music video group reported significantly better "courageous coping" skills. Even 100 days after the stem cell transplant treatments, the music video group reported significantly better social integration and family-environment experiences.
source : Music Therapy May Help Teens With Cancer Cope
