[Sound meditation in oncological rehabilitation--a pilot study of a receptive music therapy group using the monochord].
Jens-Peter Rose, Joachim Weis
Forschende Komplementarmedizin (2006) December 2008 DOI: 10.1159/000164268 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-group pre-post pilot study with qualitative content analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 105 |
| Population | Patients at an oncological rehabilitation hospital receiving at least 4 sessions of music therapy during a 3-week rehabilitation |
| Duration | 3-week rehabilitation with at least 4 music therapy sessions |
| Measures | Bipolar mood questionnaire, EORTC QLQ-C30, open-ended written questions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mood questionnaire scores changed significantly over the intervention toward feeling more balanced, less nervous, and less exhausted, and 75.6% of patients reported positive body sensations such as heaviness or warmth of limbs. The authors suggest that sound meditation is an effective relaxation therapy from the beginning of treatment and, unlike some other relaxation methods, does not require regular exercise or practice to achieve positive effects. |
Abstract
Music therapy can play an important role in psycho-oncology and promote relaxation or coping processes. This pilot study presents an evaluation of receptive music therapy performed in a group at an oncological rehabilitation hospital,with a focus on the experiences made by the patients. Single-group pre-post study on patients receiving at least 4 sessions of music therapy during a 3-week rehabilitation. A bipolar mood questionnaire was to be filled in by each participant before and after every session of music therapy. In addition, patients answered a questionnaire on quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30) at the beginning and the end of the whole treatment. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA. After the last session, the patients were to answer some open questions in writing. These texts were then analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The data of 105 patients could be analyzed. The mood questionnaire revealed significant changes over the course of the intervention towards feeling more balanced, less nervous and less exhausted. 75.6%of the patients reported positive body sensations such as feelings of heaviness or warmth of limbs during the intervention. The preliminary results of the pilot study suggest that sound meditation represents an effective relaxation therapy from the beginning of the treatment. In contrast to some other relaxation methods, sound meditation does not require regular exercise or practice to achieve positive effects. Further studies in terms of randomized controlled trials should investigate interactions of different elements of sound meditation with regard to its outcome.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |