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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Department of Medicine

Therapeutic Music Video Intervention

For adolescents and young adults (AYAs), talking about the cancer experience can be difficult, stressful and often avoided to protect family and friends. The therapeutic music video (TMV) intervention was designed to help AYAs undergoing high risk cancer treatment explore and express thoughts and feelings about their disease and treatment that might otherwise go unspoken.

Through the creative process of writing and recording song lyrics, storyboarding and video production, a credentialed music therapist offers leveled structure and support to help AYAs reflect on their experiences and identify what is important to them — such as their spirituality, family and relationships with peers and health care providers.

Lyrics and Images from Heather's Music Video "Chemo Kid Rock"

Two illustrations by a child. One shows a girl flexing strong arms. The other is the word CURE in multicolored letters. Text in the image reads "Somebody once asked, how can you do this task? I said You just have to do it yourself... I have to be strong, I have to be tough. And I'll know when I've had enough. And we could all use some kind of CURE."

The TMV is based on Robb’s Contextual Support Model of Music Therapy and Haase’s Resilience in Illness Model (RIM). The RIM is a positive health model that elucidates pathways by which risk and protective factors influence AYAs adjustment to difficult life circumstances.

Our findings showed that AYAs who received the TMV intervention reported using significantly more positive coping strategies during transplant compared with control group participants. In addition, TMV participants reported significantly better social integration (relationships with peers, family, care-providers) and family environment (adaptability/cohesion) 30 days post-transplant. We also saw moderate effect sizes for increased spiritual perspective and self-transcendence for TMV participants.



Video

Breakthroughs with Music Therapy — Sound Health: Music and the Mind

To learn more, watch Dr. Robb's Kennedy Center Talk starting at 57:15.

“Music and the Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness”

Sheri Robb and Jefri Franks (mother of Heather, one of our first TMV participants), co-authored a chapter about the TMV in Renee Flemings anthology, "Music and the Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness."

Read more

Research and Publications


Music Video and Adolescent Resilience During Transplant

Principal Investigators: Joan E. Haase, PhD, RN, FAAN & Sheri L. Robb, PhD, MT-BC

Funding: Music Video for AYA-Parent Communication and Resilience (R01NR008583, Haase, PI) and (U10CA098543 and U10CA095861).

To reduce the risk of adjustment problems associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for adolescents/young adults (AYAs), we examined efficacy of a therapeutic music video (TMV) intervention delivered during the acute phase of HSCT. The TMV was designed to increase protective factors identified in Haase’s Resilience in Illness Model. Primary aim was to determine whether AYA assigned to TMV, compared to a low dose control group, experienced: (1) reduced risk factors of illness-related distress and defensive coping; (2) improved protective factors of spiritual perspective, social integration, family environment, courageous coping, and hope-derived meaning; and (3) increase self-transcendence and resilience. Secondary aim was to qualitatively examine the self-reported benefits of the TMV intervention and attention control condition for AYA and their family caregivers.

Main Outcomes Publication

Qualitative Findings (AYAs) Publication

Qualitative Findings (Caregivers) Publication



Palliative Cancer Care: Music Video for AYA-Parent Communication and Resilience

Smart II study image

Principal Investigators: Joan E. Haase, PhD, RN, FAAN & Sheri L. Robb, PhD, MT-BC

Funding: Palliative Cancer Care: Music Video for AYA-Parent Communication and Resilience (R01CA162181, Haase/Robb, MPIs) and (U10CA180886; U10CA098543; UG1CA189955; U10CA095861; U10CA180899).

Adolescents/young adults (AYAs) undergoing high risk cancer treatment, and their parents, experience high distress, including uncertainty about the cancer, treatments, and future. This distress often hinders AYA-parent communication about important cancer-related concerns. Specific aims for this study were to compare the efficacy of a Therapeutic Music Video (TMV) intervention with a TMV plus parent component (TMV+P) on outcomes for both AYAs and parents.

Main Outcomes Publication