Music Interventions in Oncology Settings: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic review of published research investigating therapeutic applications of music in cancer patients. The review focuses on published international research from the USA, Canada, Australia and European countries using four electronic databases: PSYCHINFO, WEB OF SCIENCE, MEDLINE and SCIENCEDIRECT. Twenty four papers were identified and each paper was coded in terms of sample type, basic research question, research design and methodological details, results and implications for future research. Utilising previous work such as Aldridge (2003) as a point of departure, this review provides information on the key areas of interest in the psychology of music therapy and the therapeutic use of music amongst cancer patients and gives an account of the methodological approaches that were adopted. Results provide an overview of reported outcomes of music interventions such as reduction in anxiety, reduction in side effects of chemotherapy, physiological effects, psychological effects, behavioural improvements and communication and expression improvements.