The Pediatric population deals with children and their different diagnoses. Normally the considered age range for pediatric patients is 0-18, but that does not mean those above the age of 18 could not fall in the category. Pediatric caretakers are specially trained to take care of the physical, mental, and behavioral needs of your child. The more facilities begin to see the effects that music can have on growth in children of all ages and diagnoses, the more music therapy is being offered in pediatric settings. Over the past 10 years, there has been a tremendous growth of research being reported showing statistically sound studies showing the benefits of music therapy in pediatric settings.
In 2014, a hospital began to keep records of families' responses to their experience with inpatient music therapy on Pediatric Oncology. A 15-question survey (5-point Likert scale) was developed and distributed to all patients who received music therapy during their inpatient hospitalization from 2008 to 2010 totaling 53 surveys. The questionnaire focuses on patients' improved mood, a decrease of depression and anxiety, an increase in socialization in hospital settings, and overall coping of inpatient stay through music therapy. In the patient/family feedback survey, parents highlighted family bonding as the most important component in relation to clinical outcomes, followed by assisting with their child’s coping abilities and providing an avenue for self-expression. I firsthand have seen the effect music therapy can have while on patients who are coming in for chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Music is used to help families and patients process and cope with a new diagnosis and the different procedures and difficult journeys ahead. Music is used to help patients express how they are feeling and create a new way to process that information. Patients enjoy learning instruments and gaining skills that they can take with them outside the hospital. Some patients use music as a tool for relaxation and to decrease anxiety over different procedures and tests re-recording music patients have created or learned to have available to them when they need it.
Photo is from Arkansas Children's Hospital's MT Program
Another hospital in Australia created a study with the results gathered from music therapy in their inpatient settings. The hospital staff wanted to address the ongoing difficulties of long-term patients struggling with anxiety, depression, stress and increased pain patients experience while undergoing extensive medical treatments impacting the quality of life. The hypotheses for this study are: Music Therapy enhances the mood of patients in inpatient settings. Music Therapy reduces pain, stress, depression, and anxiety of patients in inpatient settings. While running the experiment researchers found when music is introduced as one form of distraction, the neural gates regulating pain can be partially closed, causing a decrease in the transmission of sensory signals of pain to the brain which results in an overall decrease in pain perception.
Results showed this experiment has provided evidence that mood level can be elevated, and pain levels can be reduced by the application of receptive music therapy.
Integrating music therapy in palliative care has continued to increase within interdisciplinary teams helping to encourage positive coping, as well as to reduce stress and anxiety during hospitalization. Palliative care teams are made up of the patient, family, medical staff, and other multidisciplinary team members to create a care plan for the patient with realistic goals, hopes, and wishes for the patient. Their goal is to help patients and families, and they begin to process and walk through disorders with uncertain prognosis helping to create an environment where the families and patients still feel they have control of the situation.
Songwriting, lyrical analysis, and memory-making during end of life situations are beneficial for creating a healthy environment. Legacy building activities are tangible representations of memory with the patient through poetry, journaling, and scrapbooking. Using prerecorded or live music during procedures and medical interventions to help reduce stress and help patients with pain management. Focusing on ability rather than disability, promote success, and encourage self-expression. Palliative care teams will also have co-treatment sessions with physical, occupational, speech, or recreational therapists giving new creative means to working toward treatment goals and help patients tolerate exercises designed to increase physical abilities or range of motion.
Reference
Duda, L. J. (2013). Integrating music therapy into pediatric palliative care. Progress in Palliative Care, 21(2), 65–77.
Hanser SB, Larson S., O'Connell A.: The effect of music on relaxation of expectant mothers during labor. J Music Ther 20:50-58, 1983
Tan, P., Lester, L. H., & Lin, A. M. (2020). Music therapy treatments in an inpatient setting—A randomized pilot study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2020.101660
Tucquet, B., & Leung, M. (2014). Music therapy services in pediatric oncology: A national clinical practice review. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 31(6), 327–338. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043454214533424
Wylie ME, Blom RC: Guided imagery and music with hospice patients. Music Ther Perspec 3:25-28, 1986