Lisa Gallagher
Cleveland Clinic Arts and Medicine Institute, USA
Title: The effects of music therapy interventions on symptom management in palliative medicine patients
Biography
Biography: Lisa Gallagher
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of music therapy sessions on pain, anxiety, shortness of breath, depression, and mood; to identify specific interventions that are effective and common in addressing these symptoms; and to investigate the effects of gender, age, and type of cancer in patients with pain and anxiety who experienced music therapy. This was a retrospective study of data obtained over an almost 12 year timespan. A total of 5,970 records were included in the database representing 1,570 patients. The data file utilized for this study represented 547 patients whose initial music therapy sessions contained documentation of at least one variable. Among the 547 patients, 293 had complete data on all outcomes measures and were included in the data analysis. This study demonstrated the importance of music therapy for addressing symptoms and behaviors of palliative medicine patients. There was a positive and statistically and/or clinically significant effect on pain, anxiety, depression, shortness of breath, mood, facial expression, and verbalization. Commonalities regarding which interventions were most commonly used to address each symptom; as well as trends as to which interventions were most effective in addressing these symptoms were identified. Results also include connections between the effect on change in each of the variables as compared with age, gender, diagnosis, goals, and interventions.