Time and again, studies have shown the benefits of music, other than just providing a form of entertainment. This time, a new study shows that music can also help young cancer patients by providing them with the psychosocial support that they need to positively cope up with their illness.
In the study published in the journal Cancer, researchers assigned 113 cancer patients aged 11 to 24, who were being treated with stem cell transplantation, into either of two groups. One is the therapeutic music video intervention group that worked with a music therapist writing lyrics, recording sounds and collecting video images to produce a music video, and the other group that listened to audiobooks.
The researcher founds that those who took part in making a music video felt more supported by their families and friends and were better able to cope up with their treatment than those who just listened to audiobooks. 100 days after the treatment, those who were part of the music video intervention group also reported they have better communication and relationship with their friends and families. The researchers also found that the music videos made by the subjects provided their parents insights into what they go through.
The results of the study showed that music-based intervention aided by a music therapist can help young cancer patients cope up with grueling treatments. "The availability of music therapy services from a board-certified music therapist in the United States has become more widespread, and through studies like this one, we hope to see increased availability and access to this important allied health service," said study co-author Sheri Robb, a music therapist from Indiana University.
Brad Zebrack from the University of Michigan, who studied adolescent cancer survivors, said the music video project helped the patients face the psychological ordeals of the treatment. "It's not so much the cancer that stresses them, it's the fallout," he told Reuters Health. "One of the biggest challenges they face is the social isolation. Having to spend a lot of time at home, not being able to be with their friends for a lot of time. The disruption of cancer comes at a time in life when that type of social interaction is so important."
