Exploring Influencing Factors of Anxiety Improvement Following Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy in Young Adults with Cancer.
Robert Knoerl, Emanuele Mazzola, Heather Woods, Elizabeth Buchbinder, Lindsay Frazier, Ann LaCasce, Marlise R Luskin, Carolyn S Phillips, Katherine Thornton, Donna L Berry, Jennifer Ligibel
Journal of Music Therapy June 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/jmt/thac017 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of a single-arm intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 31 |
| Population | Young adults receiving cancer treatment for at least eight weeks, recruited from adult and pediatric oncology outpatient centers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based music therapy |
| Duration | Up to four 45-minute sessions over twelve weeks |
| Measures | PROMIS Anxiety 4a |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Neoplasms Music therapy Stress, psychological Child Young adult Pandemics Covid-19 Cancer Adolescent |
| Registration | NCT03709225 |
| Key points | Among young adults receiving cancer treatment, higher baseline physical functioning, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbance, female sex, and virtual intervention delivery were identified as potential factors associated with greater anxiety improvement after mindfulness-based music therapy, with median changes ranging from -4.65 to -6.65 points on the PROMIS Anxiety 4a. The authors propose that further investigation of such factors could help tailor future interventions. |
Abstract
The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore physiological, psychological, and situational influencing factors that may affect the impact of a mindfulness-music therapy intervention on anxiety severity in young adults receiving cancer treatment. Young adults receiving cancer treatment for ≥ eight weeks were recruited from adult and pediatric oncology outpatient centers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Participants were asked to attend up to four, in-person (offered virtually via Zoom video conference after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic) 45-min mindfulness-based music therapy sessions over twelve weeks with a board-certified music therapist. Participants completed questionnaires about anxiety, stress, and other cancer treatment-related outcomes before and after participating in the intervention. Changes in anxiety (i.e., PROMIS Anxiety 4a) over time were compared among baseline physiological (e.g., age or sex), psychological (e.g., stress), and situational influencing (i.e., intervention delivery format) factors using Wilcoxon-rank sum tests. Thirty-one of the 37 enrolled participants completed the baseline and post-intervention measures and were eligible for inclusion in the secondary analysis. Results revealed that higher baseline physical functioning (median change = -6.65), anxiety (median change=-5.65), fatigue (median change = -5.6), sleep disturbance (median change = -5.6), female sex (median change = -5.15), or virtual intervention delivery (median change = -4.65) were potential physiological, psychological, or situational influencing factors associated with anxiety improvement following mindfulness-based music therapy. Additional investigation into physiological, psychological, or situational influencing factors associated with anxiety response will help to tailor the design of future mindfulness-music therapy interventions to decrease psychological distress and address the unique psychosocial concerns among young adults receiving cancer treatment. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03709225.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Efficacy of the Five-Element Music Therapy Combined with Mindfulness Meditation on the Fatigue, Anxiety and Depression of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients Who Are Undergoing Chemotherapy. Noise and Health
- Psychosocial factors associated with engagement and efficacy of mindfulness intervention in the classroom. PLoS One June 25, 2026