Music Therapy May Alleviate Anxiety, Distress In Cancer Patients

Music therapy may help reduce anxiety and distress among patients with cancer undergoing simulation for radiation therapy, according to a recent study.

It is well established that radiation therapy is associated with high levels of stress, and little is known about the effect of music therapy on patients who are undergoing simulation for radiation therapy.
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In order to explore this impact further, the researchers assessed 78 cancer patients who received simulation for radiation therapy. Patients received either music therapy (n = 39) or no music therapy (n = 39). A total of 38 patients had breast cancer, and 40 had head and neck cancer. Patients in the music therapy group received a consultation with a music therapist and chose a selection of music to be played during simulation. Patients in the group without music therapy did not receive a consultation or hear any selection of music during simulation.

The researchers used pre-State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S Anxiety) questionnaire and Symptom Distress Thermometer (SDT) to evaluate patients. Both measures were administered prior to and after simulation.

Results indicated that the overall pre-simulation STAI-S score was 38.7, and the overall post-simulation STAI-S score was 35.2. The overall pre-simulation SDT score was 3.2, and the overall post-simulation SDT score was 2.5.

The music therapy group had a pre-simulation STAI-S score of 39.1 and a post simulation score of 31.0, compared with a pre-simulation score of 38.9 and a post-simulation score of 39.5 in the usual care group. Additionally, the music therapy group had a pre-simulation SDT score of 3.2 and a post-simulation score of 2.5, compared with a pre-simulation score of 3.2 and a post-simulation score of 1.7 in the usual care group.

“[Music therapy] significantly lowered patient anxiety and distress during the simulation procedure on the basis of the STAI-S questionnaire and SDT,” the researchers concluded. “Incorporating culturally centered individualized [music therapy] may be an effective intervention to reduce stressors. Continued research defining the role of [music therapy] intervention in improving the patient experience by reducing anxiety is warranted.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Rossetti A, Chadha M, Nelson Torres B, et al. The impact of music therapy on anxiety in cancer patients undergoing simulation for radiation therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol. 2017;99(1):103-110. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.05.003.