Favored subjects and psychosocial needs in music therapy in terminally ill cancer patients: a content analysis

BMC Palliative Care

Research Article

Carsten Bokemeyer¹  Karin Oechsle¹  Sarah Kordovan¹  Anneke Ullrich¹  Pia Preissler² 

[1] Department of Oncology, Hematology and BMT with section of Pneumology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;Department of Oncology, Hematology and BMT with section of Pneumology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;

关键词: Music therapy;    Subjects;    Needs;    Psychosocial;    Cancer;    Terminally ill;    Palliative care;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12904-016-0122-7

 received in 2015-09-04, accepted in 2016-05-09,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundResearch has shown positive effects of music therapy on the physical and mental well-being of terminally ill patients. This study aimed to identify favored subjects and psychosocial needs of terminally ill cancer patients during music therapy and associated factors.MethodsForty-one Patients receiving specialized inpatient palliative care prospectively performed a music therapy intervention consisting of at least two sessions (total number of sessions: 166; per patient average: 4, range, 2–10). Applied music therapy methods and content were not pre-determined. Therapeutic subjects and psychosocial needs addressed in music therapy sessions were identified from prospective semi-structured “field notes” using qualitative content analysis. Patient- and treatment-related characteristics as well as factors related to music and music therapy were assessed by questionnaire or retrieved from medical records.ResultsSeven main categories of subjects were identified: “condition, treatment, further care”, “coping with palliative situation”, “emotions and feelings”, “music and music therapy”, “biography”, “social environment”, and “death, dying, and spiritual topics”. Patients addressed an average of 4.7 different subjects (range, 1–7). Some subjects were associated with gender (p = .022) and prior impact of music in patients’ life (p = .012).The number of subjects per session was lower when receptive music therapy methods were used (p = .040). Psychosocial needs were categorized into nine main dimensions: “relaxing and finding comfort”, “communication and dialogue”, “coping and activation of internal resources”, “activity and vitality”, “finding expression”, “sense of self and reflection”, “finding emotional response”, “defocusing and diversion”, and “structure and hold”. Patients expressed an average of 4.9 psychosocial needs (range, 1–8). Needs were associated with age, parallel art therapy (p = .010), role of music in patient’s life (p = .021), and the applied music therapy method (p = .012).ConclusionSeven main categories of therapeutically relevant subjects and nine dimensions of psychosocial needs could be identified when music therapy was delivered to terminally ill cancer patients. Results showed that patients with complex psychosocial situations addressed an average number of five subjects and needs, respectively. Some socio-demographic factors, the role of music in patient’s lives and the applied music therapy methods may be related with the kind and number of expressed subjects and needs.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Preissler et al. 2016