The following is a summary of “Music Therapy Intervention to Reduce Caregiver Distress at End of Life: A Feasibility Study,” published in the MAY 2023 issue of Pain Management by Whitford, et al.

Music therapy (MT) has been found to alleviate distressing end-of-life symptoms in patients. However, the effect of MT on caregivers, who are at risk for emotional distress as their loved ones approach death, is not well known.

Caregivers of inpatient hospice patients received a single session of MT for 20-45 minutes. Linear Analogue Self-Assessment was used to measure quality of life, Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression and Anxiety was used to measure depressive and anxiety symptoms, and a Role Overload Measure was used to measure stress. The assessments were administered pre-MT, post-MT, and at 6-month follow-up. A satisfaction survey was also administered post-MT.

Fifteen out of twenty caregivers completed the MT intervention, and 14 completed the pre- and post-MT assessments. Nine caregivers completed all three assessments. The satisfaction survey (n=14) showed that 100% of caregivers were very satisfied with MT and would recommend it to others. Caregivers reported that MT was effective for emotional support (85.7%), stress relief (78.6%), spiritual support (71.4%), general feeling of wellness (71.4%), relaxation (69.2%), and pain relief (33.3%).

The study demonstrated that research on MT for caregivers of inpatient hospice patients is feasible.

Reference; https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(23)00035-0/fulltext