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This study examines music's relevance, including preloss music therapy, for 8 informal caregivers of people who died from cancer. The design was informed by constructivist grounded theory and included semistructured interviews. Bereaved caregivers were supported or occasionally challenged as their musical lives enabled a connection with the deceased. Music was often still used to improve mood and sometimes used to confront grief. Specific music, however, was sometimes avoided to minimize sadness. Continuing bonds theory's focus on connecting with the deceased through memory and imagery engagement may expand to encompass musical memories, reworking the meaning of familiar music, and discovering new music related to the deceased. Preloss music involvement, including music therapy, between dying patients and families can help in bereavement. (Contains 4 tables and 3 footnotes. )

Objectives: To explore cancer patients’ recommendations for nature engagement based on their subjective nature experiences and observations in the cancer setting. The rationale was to gain practical insight for delineating relevant and translatable nature-based care and design opportunities in oncology contexts. Background: Innovative cancer care services are needed to respond to growing demand and shifting healthcare needs. Engagement with nature has shown multiple health benefits and presents a promising opportunity for application in healthcare to improve outcomes. Method: Qualitative research design using content analysis was used. Eligible adults with any cancer diagnosis participated in semistructured and audio-recorded interviews. Transcribed textual data included responses to two open-ended questions querying about participants’ recommendations related to nature-based opportunities in the cancer setting. Deductive analysis used three predetermined categories: “recommendation: features,” “recommendation: functions,” and “cautions.” Results: Twenty patients with cancer (nine female) participated. Broad recommendations incorporated (1) using nature for vital sensory stimulation and engagement, (2) using nature for personal space and freedom to enable private and social exploration, (3) using views to nature for distraction and comfort, and (4) accessing nature for physical activity and movement. Three critical factors were determined for avoiding adverse experiences: determining appropriate expenditure and resourcing, selection of appropriate nature-based design materials, and exercising caution around demanding nature engagement and harsh weather conditions. Conclusions: Cancer patients’ recommendations reveal the importance of engaging with nature in their experiences of health and recovery. The findings can inform planning appropriate and safe integration of beneficial nature engagement in cancer settings and support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate patient, staff, and carer responses to an environmental intervention in an oncology clinic waiting room and evaluate the acceptability of artificial plant materials. Design Postintervention: Cross-sectional survey study. Setting: Oncology outpatient clinic waiting room located in a metropolitan comprehensive cancer center in Australia. Main Outcome Measure: Observer ratings of perceived qualities and effects of lifelike (fake) plants while spending time in the waiting room. Participants: Convenience sample (N = 143) consisted of 73 cancer patients, 13 staff, 52 carers, and 5 "others" aged between 24 and 89 years (M = 56, SD = 14.5). Intervention: Artificial plant arrangements, hanging installations, two movable green walls, and one rock garden on wheels placed throughout the outpatients' clinic waiting room. Results: Eighty-one percent (115/142) of respondents noticed the green features when first entering the waiting room and 67% (90/134) noticed they were artificial. Eighty-one percent (115/142) indicated "like/like a lot" when reporting their first reaction to the green features. Forty-eight percent (68/143) were positively affected and 23% (33/143) were very positively affected. Eighty-one percent (110/135) agreed/strongly agreed that "The greenery brightens the waiting room," 62% (80/130) agreed/strongly agreed that they "prefer living plants," and 76% (101/133) agreed/strongly agreed that "'lifelike' plants are better than no plants." Comments included mostly positive appraisals and occasional adverse reactions to artificial plants. No significant differences were found between patients', staff, and carers' reactions. Conclusions: The environmental intervention positively impacted patients', staff, and carers' perceptions of the oncology waiting room environment. Patients, staff, and carers mostly accepted artificial plants as an alternative design solution to real plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence supports music-based oncologic support interventions including music therapy. By comparison, little is understood about music-based self-care. This meta-ethnography examined five published qualitative studies to extend understanding of music's relevance, including helpfulness, for people affected by cancer; including children, adolescents, and adults with cancer, carers, and the bereaved.Objective: To improve understanding of music's broad relevance for those affected by cancer.Methods: Meta-ethnography strategies informed the analysis. Five studies were synthesized that included 138 participants: 26 children and 28 parents of children with cancer; 12 adolescents and young adults with cancer; 52 adults with cancer; 12 carers; and 8 bereaved. Studies' category and thematic findings were compared and integrated into third-order interpretations, and a line of argument. Perspectives from the five studies that illuminated the line of argument were developed.Results: Music usage can remain incidental, continue normally, and/or change because of cancer's harsh effects. Music can be a lifeline, support biopsychosocial and spiritual well-being, or become elusive, that is, difficult to experience. Music helps or intrudes because it extends self-awareness and social connections, and prompts play, memories, imageries, and legacies. Music therapists may help patients and carers to recover or extend music's helpful effects.Conclusions: Cancer care can be improved through offering music-based resources/services, which give cancer patients and carers opportunities to extend music usage for personal support and, for carers, to support patients. Music therapists can advocate for such resources and educate health professionals about assessing/recognizing when patients' and carers' changed music behaviors signify additional support needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family caregivers of people with cancer may struggle as they observe the effects of the illnesses and experience the demands of caregiving amid potential loss. In order to provide beneficial support, health care professionals need to understand factors that promote caregivers’ resilience. This research explored the role of music. Twelve caregivers were recruited and data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was informed by grounded theory. Six thematic findings emerged: caregivers’ music backgrounds affect their cancer experiences; caregivers’ use or nonuse of music is associated with how they cope with the patients’ illnesses; music can help improve biopsychosocial and spiritual well-being; music can be used in caring; music may intrude; and music is recommended. Recommendations are that health care organizations providing supportive cancer care might consider offering music-based care and that health professionals may consider inquiring about caregivers’ musical lives to increase their understanding about caregivers’ resilience or vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines the use of song writing in palliative care. Modified grounded theory and content analysis approaches were used to investigate the lyrical themes and categories (groups of concepts) in 64 songs written by 39 palliative care patients. The eight themes that emerged in the songs were: self-reflections, compliments, memories, reflections upon significant others (including pets), self-expression of adversity, imagery, and prayers. The seven most frequently recurring categories were: compliments to family members, staff, other patients and friends about their personal qualities and their impact upon the patients' lives; messages of positive feelings for and experiences with people, including love, care and that one needs people; memories of relationships with people, both living and deceased; existing in the future; expressions of the adverse experiences resulting from living with the illnesses of multiple sclerosis and cancer; descriptions of stories and nature imagery scenes; and gratitude to family members, staff, and God. The author argues that song writing is a worthwhile technique for some palliative care patients because the lyrical themes suggest that the process may aid in meeting their physical, psycho-social, and spiritual needs. The song writing paradigm that facilitated the palliative care patients' song writing is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss the need for music therapists to maintain cultural awareness in end-of-life care, supportive cancer care, and the music therapy practice in a children's hospital oncology treatment.

Purpose: Music has historically aided health and loss-adaptation, however, cancer patients' experience of music for self-care is not well understood. This study examines adult cancer patients' views about music's role before and after diagnosis., Methods: Constructivist approach, with grounded theory informed design using convenience, snowball and theoretical sampling. Patients from Australian metropolitan cancer and hospice settings completed demographic questionnaires and participated in semi-structured interviews. Qualitative inter-rater reliability was applied., Results: Fifty-two patients reported comparable time spent experiencing music pre-post diagnosis. Music may remain incidental; however, many patients adapt music usage to ameliorate cancer's aversive effects. Patients often draw from their musical lives and explore unfamiliar music to: remain connected with pre-illness identities; strengthen capacity for enduring treatment, ongoing survival (even when knowing "you're going to die"), or facing death; reframe upended worlds; and live enriched lives. Patients can ascribe human or physical properties to music when describing its transformative effects. Familiar lyrics maybe reinterpreted, and patients' intensified emotional reactions to music can reflect their threatened mortality. Sometimes music becomes inaccessible, elusive, and/or intensifies distress and is avoided. Families', friends' and professionals' recognition of patients' altered musical lives and music-based suggestions can extend patients' use of music for self-care., Conclusion: Health professionals can support patients by inquiring about their music behaviours and recognising that altered music usage may signify vulnerability. Although commonly recommended, hospital concerts and music broadcasts need sensitive delivery. Patients' preferred music should be available in diagnostic, treatment and palliative settings because it can promote endurance and life enrichment.