Music Therapy vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Cancer Survivors
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
+2 other locations
Overseen byJun Mao, MD, MSCE
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Phase 4
Recruiting
Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Must not be taking: Anxiety medications
Disqualifiers: Suicidal ideation, Bipolar, Schizophrenia, others
No Placebo Group
Prior Safety Data
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
The researchers are doing this study to compare how music therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, given virtually, may be able to reduce anxiety in people who have had cancer. In addition, this study will see if certain factors affect how well participants respond to music therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. For example, the researchers will see if personal characteristics (like age, sex, race, and education) and ways of thinking (like expectations of therapy) may affect how well participants respond.
Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?
The trial does not specify if you need to stop your current medications, but you cannot join if you plan to start or change anxiety medications in the next 8 weeks.
What data supports the effectiveness of this treatment for anxiety in cancer survivors?
Is music therapy safe for cancer survivors?
How does music therapy differ from other treatments for anxiety in cancer survivors?
Music therapy is unique because it uses music-based activities, like listening to or creating music, to help reduce anxiety and improve mood in cancer patients. Unlike traditional therapies, it can be integrated into supportive cancer care to enhance emotional well-being and quality of life without relying on medication.4671011
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for English or Spanish-speaking adults who have had any type of cancer, are now free from the disease, and experience anxiety (scoring ≥8 on HADS). They must be willing to try music therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy virtually and have access to Zoom. Those with recent active cancer treatment, severe cognitive impairment, extensive prior MT/CBT treatment for anxiety, or certain psychiatric conditions cannot join.Inclusion Criteria
Access to Zoom and a quiet/private location
I have been diagnosed with cancer before, regardless of the type or stage.
I am 18 years old or older.
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Exclusion Criteria
Active suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or substance abuse
Score of ≥10 indicative of cognitive impairment on the Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration
I have undergone 7 or more therapy sessions for anxiety in the last 6 months.
See 2 more
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants receive either music therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy virtually to reduce anxiety
26 weeks
Virtual sessions
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment
4 weeks
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Behavioural Intervention)
- Music Therapy (Behavioural Intervention)
Trial OverviewThe study aims to compare virtual music therapy (MT) with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in reducing anxiety among cancer survivors. It will also explore if personal traits like age and mindset influence how well patients respond to these therapies. Participants will be randomly assigned to either MT or CBT.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Music Therapy (MT)Experimental Treatment2 Interventions
MT is a non-pharmacological, evidence-based intervention, in which board-certified music therapists engage patients in personally tailored experiences with music to achieve therapeutic goals. Patients will receive a workbook with materials for each session These experiences range from music-guided relaxation to more active forms of musical engagement, including singing and improvising music.
Group II: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Active Control2 Interventions
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based, nonpharmacological intervention delivered by licensed mental health providers. Informed by the cognitive behavior model of anxiety, CBT focuses on the relationship between thoughts, behaviors, and emotions and how thoughts and behaviors can exacerbate or reduce anxiety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is already approved in European Union, United States, Canada, Australia for the following indications:
🇪🇺 Approved in European Union as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depressive disorders
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
🇺🇸 Approved in United States as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depressive disorders
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Substance use disorders
🇨🇦 Approved in Canada as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depressive disorders
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
🇦🇺 Approved in Australia as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depressive disorders
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Baptist Alliance MCIMiami, FL
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew York, NY
Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterLead Sponsor
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research InstituteCollaborator
References
Cancer patients' interest and preferences for music therapy. [2019]The reason for lack of routine integration of music therapy into healthcare may be that patients are not comfortable being involved in a music therapy intervention. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine cancer patients' interest in and preferences for using 2 types of music therapy interventions, music-making and music listening. Sixty-five patients completed the Music Interest Survey in addition to standardized measures of coping, affect, anxiety, and fatigue. Results suggest adult cancer patients are interested in music therapy, especially music listening. Patient interest and preference were associated with negative affect, anxiety, age, perceived intervention-specific benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy. Findings highlight the need for a comprehensive assessment of patient needs and preferences prior to intervention.
Effects of music therapy on anxiety of patients with breast cancer after radical mastectomy: a randomized clinical trial. [2022]This paper is a report of a clinical trial of the effects of music therapy on anxiety of female breast cancer patients following radical mastectomy.
Addressing the need for personalizing music therapy in integrative oncology. [2022]Music therapy is an integrative oncology practice that has been rapidly emerging, over the past two decades, as a field of its own, clinically and academically. The randomized controlled trials that evaluate the clinical impact of music therapy are growing in number, and at the same time, there has been progress in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that underly the beneficial effects of music therapy. Cultural background and autobiographical memories may uniquely influence music perception and cognition. It is vital to personalize music therapy because music preferences are unique; one size does not fit all. Cognitive music science studies and clinical music therapy trials that study individualized music choices will serve as a vital step forward in providing patient-directed personalized integrative cancer care. The field of music therapy is advancing, and its ability to improve a patient's quality of life can be understood only through robust, personalized, evidence-based initiatives that focus on research, advocacy, education, and delivery of care.
Music therapy and radiation oncology: State of art and future directions. [2020]Effectiveness of music-based interventions (Music therapy, MT) on cancer patients' is a current research theme. Oncology patients may respond to radiation treatment (RT) with anxiety expressed as stress, fear, depression, and frustration.
The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy on Attention and Mood in Women Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study. [2015]To explore the efficacy of mindfulness- based music therapy (MBMT) to improve attention and decrease mood distress experienced by women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.
Music therapy in supportive cancer care. [2022]The purpose of this paper is to show some aspects of music therapy application in cancer care and to present the integration of music therapy program into a continuous supportive cancer care for inpatients. A cancer diagnosis is one of the most feared and serious life events that causes stress in individuals and families. Cancer disrupts social, physical and emotional well-being and results in a range of emotions, including anger, fear, sadness, guilt, embarrassment and shame. Music therapy is a part of a complementary medicine program in supportive cancer care which accompanies medical treatment. There are many benefits of music therapy for cancer patients-interactive music therapy techniques (instrumental improvisation, singing) as well as receptive music therapy techniques (listening to recorded or live music, music and imaginary) can be used to improve mood, decrease stress, pain, anxiety level and enhance relaxation. Music therapy is an effective form of supporting cancer care for patients during the treatment process. It may be also basic for planning effective programs of rehabilitation to promote wellness, improve physical and emotional well-being and the quality of life.
Music therapy research and applications in pediatric oncology treatment. [2017]Music therapy is a profession which meets multiple physical, social, and psychological needs. Music therapists can facilitate health objectives by reducing the intensity or duration of pain, alleviating anxiety, and decreasing the amount of analgesic medication needed. Rehabilitative objectives can include activities which incorporate exercise, range of motion therapy, or gait training. Reduction of fear, anxiety, stress, or grief are common psychological objectives. Music therapy is particularly effective in promoting social objectives such as increased interaction, verbalization, independence, and cooperation; enhanced relationships with health care personnel and family members; and increased stimulation during long-term hospitalization or isolation. Counseling techniques are often paired with music to achieve emotional objectives such as expression, adjustment, stability, or locus of control. The purpose of this article is to synthesize the extant music/medical research literature and clarify how music therapy can provide a quintessential combination of physical, social, and psychological benefits to enhance the health care of pediatric oncology patients.
Music therapy and music medicine for children and adolescents. [2022]This article summarizes the research on music therapy and music medicine for children and adolescents with diagnoses commonly treated by psychiatrists. Music therapy and music medicine are defined, effects of music on the brain are described, and music therapy research in psychiatric treatment is discussed. Music therapy research with specific child/adolescent populations is summarized, including disorders usually diagnosed in childhood, substance abuse, mood/anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. Clinical implications are listed, including suggestions for health care professionals seeking to use music medicine techniques. Strengths and weaknesses of music therapy treatment are discussed, as well as areas for future research.
Quantitative comparison of cognitive behavioral therapy and music therapy research: a methodological best-practices analysis to guide future investigation for adult psychiatric patients. [2019]While the music therapy profession is relatively young and small in size, it can treat a variety of clinical populations and has established a diverse research base. However, although the profession originated working with persons diagnosed with mental illnesses, there is a considerable lack of quantitative research concerning the effects of music therapy with this population. Music therapy clinicians and researchers have reported on this lack of evidence and the difficulty in conducting psychosocial research on their interventions (Choi, 1997; Silverman, 2003a). While published studies have provided suggestions for future research, no studies have provided detailed propositions for the methodology and design of meticulous high quality randomized controlled psychiatric music therapy research. How do other psychotherapies accomplish their databases and could the music therapy field borrow from their rigorous "methodological best practices" to strengthen its own literature base? Therefore, as the National Institutes of Mental Health state the treatment of choice for evidence-based psychotherapy is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), aspects of this psychotherapy's literature base were analyzed. The purpose of this literature analysis was to (a) analyze and identify components of high-quality quantitative CBT research for adult psychiatric consumers, (b) analyze and identify the variables and other elements of existing quantitative psychiatric music therapy research for adult consumers, and (c) compare the two data sets to identify the best methodological designs and variables for future quantitative music therapy research with the mental health population. A table analyzing randomized and thoroughly controlled studies involving the use of CBT for persons with severe mental illnesses is included to determine chief components of high-quality experimental research designs and implementation of quantitative clinical research. The table also shows the same analyzed components for existing quantitative psychiatric music therapy research with adult consumers, thus highlighting potential areas and elements for future investigations. A second table depicts a number of potential dependent measures and their sources to be evaluated in future music therapy studies. A third table providing suggestions for future research is derived from a synthesis of the tables and is included to guide researchers and encourage the advancement and expansion of the current literature base. The body of the paper is a discussion of the results of the literature analysis derived from the tables, meta-analyses, and reviews of literature. It is hoped that this report will lead to the addition of future high-quality quantitative research to the psychiatric music therapy literature base and thus provide evidence-based services to as many persons with mental illnesses as possible.
Arts therapies for anxiety, depression, and quality of life in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [2023]Background. Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. However, only a few trials assess the effects of arts therapies. Material and Methods. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and Google Scholar from their start date to January 2012. We handsearched reference lists and contacted experts. All randomized controlled trials, quasi-randomized trials, and controlled clinical trials of art interventions in breast cancer patients were included. Data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed. Meta-analyses were performed using standardized mean differences. Results. Thirteen trials with a total of 606 patients were included. Arts therapies comprised music therapy interventions, various types of art therapy, and dance/movement therapies. The methodological quality ranged from poor to high quality with the majority scoring 3 of 4 points on the Jadad scale. Results suggest that arts therapies seem to positively affect patients' anxiety (standardized mean difference: -1.10; 95%, confidence interval: -1.40 to -0.80) but not depression or quality of life. No conclusion could be drawn regarding the effects of arts therapy on pain, functional assessment, coping, and mood states. Discussion. Our review indicates that arts interventions may have beneficial effects on anxiety in patients with breast cancer.
The Impact of Music Therapy on Anxiety in Cancer Patients Undergoing Simulation for Radiation Therapy. [2021]Radiation therapy (RT) is associated with high stress levels. The role of music therapy (MT) for patients receiving RT is not well described. This study evaluates the impact of MT on anxiety and distress during simulation in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck or breast cancer.