Use of preferred music to reduce emotional distress and symptom activity during radiation therapy.

Full Abstract

Music therapy has decreased anxiety levels in many medical settings. This randomized clinical trial examined the effectiveness of a music listening intervention, delivered by a board-certified music therapist, in patients undergoing curative radiation therapy (RT). Emotional distress (anxiety, depression, and treatment-related distress) and symptoms (fatigue and pain) were measured at baseline, mid-treatment, and end of treatment in 63 patients undergoing RT. Although patients who listened to self-selected music reported lower anxiety and treatment-related distress, there was a decline in these outcomes for patients in both groups over the course of RT. Depression, fatigue, and pain were not appreciably affected by music therapy. Within the music group, there was a significant correlation between number of times music was used/week and the change in treatment-related distress, suggesting that higher doses of music produced greater declines in distress. While these findings provided some support for the use of music in reducing distress during RT, further research demonstrating clear differences between intervention and control conditions is needed. Physical symptoms were not affected by the use of music over the course of RT.

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Author information

Author/s: Clark, Michael (M); Isaacks-Downton, Gloria (G); Wells, Nancy (N); Redlin-Frazier, Sheryl (S); Eck, Carol (C); Hepworth, Joseph T (JT); Chakravarthy, Bapsi (B);

Affiliation: Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of music therapy (J Music Ther), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-; vol 43 (issue 3) : pp 247-65

Dates: Created 2006/10/13; Completed 2006/12/07;

PMID: 17037953, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Aged
Anxiety - etiology; prevention & control
Depression - etiology; prevention & control
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged

Middle Aged
Music Therapy
Neoplasms - nursing; radiotherapy
Pain Measurement
Radiotherapy - adverse effects; nursing
Statistics, Nonparametric
Stress, Psychological - etiology; prevention & control
Treatment Outcome

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