Music Intervention Transforms Parents’ Perspective During Acute Cancer Therapy

Music-based interventions provide developmentally appropriate ways to support young children with cancer and their families during treatment and may even change their perspectives about the treatment, according to research published in Pediatric Blood & Cancer. 

A group of researchers conducted 43 interviews with parents or caregivers of pediatric cancer patients who were receiving an active music engagement (AME) intervention delivered by a board-certified music therapist as part of a larger, multisite trial. 

The goal was to learn more about the parents’/caregivers’ experiences with AME and to explore how those experiences worked to lower parent-child distress related to acute cancer treatment. The researchers specifically sought underrepresented groups. Ultimately, 28 interviews were analyzed for this study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03085927).

One theme that emerged from the interviews was the importance of the “safe space” the music therapist created for the child, allowing the child and parent to become immersed in the music play experiences. With the therapist’s support, the parents could let their guard down and be playful with their child. 

The parents also believed that the music therapy activities supported the child’s autonomy, the researchers reported. The sessions gave the child the chance to make independent choices and exhibit some control in guiding the direction of the music play experience. 

The parents described the experience as “transformative,” as they saw noticeable changes in their child’s energy, mood, and symptom distress. Witnessing these positive changes led to a cognitive shift on the part of the parents. They were able to focus less on their child’s illness and symptoms and more on their wellness aspects. 

The AME sessions allowed both parents and children to develop appropriate coping skills that lasted beyond the therapist-led sessions themselves. 

During this particular trial, all of the children received the same chemotherapy regimen within a few months of diagnosis, so future research should explore the benefits of AME over earlier and longer treatment courses. Additionally, further research could explore ways to make the content culturally relevant and meaningful for families of different backgrounds.

“As parents witnessed positive and transformative changes in their child, they experienced relief and reported shifts in their perspective about cancer treatment,” the researchers concluded. “This led to learning and use of music as a coping strategy that extended beyond therapist-led sessions. The dyadic focus is appropriate given the inextricable nature of parent-child suffering and the central role parents play in helping young children learn self-directed coping strategies.”