Impact of Music Therapy on Quality of Life in Children with Cancer

Faten Fedhila; Mohamed Wassim Hannachi; Elhem Jbebli; Ines Selmi; Samar Rhayem; Issam Magouri; Hedia Bellali; Monia Khemiri

doi:10.3390/children10091486

Impact of Music Therapy on Quality of Life in Children with Cancer

Children (Basel). 2023 Aug 31;10(9):1486. doi: 10.3390/children10091486.

Authors

Faten Fedhila¹, Mohamed Wassim Hannachi¹, Elhem Jbebli¹, Ines Selmi², Samar Rhayem¹, Issam Magouri¹, Hedia Bellali³, Monia Khemiri¹

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric "A" Department of the Bechir Hamza Children's Hospital, 169 Boulevard 9 April 1938, Tunis 1006, Tunisia.
² Pediatrics Department, Mongi Slim Hospital, Sidi Daoud La Marsa, Tunis 2046, Tunisia.
³ Clinical Epidemiology Department, Hbib Thameur Hospital, 3 Street A. Ben Ayed 1089, Tunis Chebbi, Tunis 1008, Tunisia.

Abstract

Background: Music therapy (MT) is a non-pharmacological treatment increasingly used to reduce stress and anxiety in hospitalized children affected by cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of MT on quality of life in children with cancer and determine its effect on cardiorespiratory rates.

Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study between 1 April and 31 August 2021 at Bechir Hamza children's Hospital in Tunis, including children treated for cancer. The child or parent completed the PedsQL Module Cancer French version 3.0 questionnaires before and after four weekly music therapy sessions. The child's respiratory and heart rates were measured before and after each session.

Results: We included 20 children whose mean age was 7 ± 4.5 years. The median value of the total questionnaire score increased from 57 [46; 70] to 72 [67; 85] (p < 10^-3) noting a significant reduction in pain (p = 0.02), nausea (p = 0.009), and anxiety related to medical procedures (p = 0.009) and worry about the future (p = 0.005). We highlighted a significant decrease in respiratory and heart rate after MT (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: MT has positive impact on quality of life in children with cancer and reduces stress by lowering their cardiorespiratory rates.

Keywords: cancer; children; music therapy; oncology; quality of life.

Grants and funding

The German Embassy in Tunisia, represented in the person of his Excellency Peter Prügel, financed the development of a music therapy workshop and the equipment used in the workshop using sophisticated computer and various musical instruments. The funders had no role in the design of the study; the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; the writing of the manuscript; or the decision to publish the results.