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Music Breathing for Caregivers of Children Newly Diagnosed With Cancer

The Chinese University of Hong Kong logo

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Status

Completed

Conditions

Oncology
Psychological Distress

Treatments

Behavioral: mHealth-delivered music breathing therapy
Behavioral: Online educational modules

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT06052904
PAED-2022-024

Details and patient eligibility

About

This proposed pilot randomised controlled trial aims to examine the effect of mobile health-delivered music breathing therapy in enhancing resilience, reducing psychological distress and caregiver strain, and improving the coping and quality of life of parental caregivers of children newly diagnosed with cancer.

Full description

Parents of children with cancer experience considerable stress and distress from the time of their child's life-threatening diagnosis. Music therapy, for example, music breathing therapy, has been increasingly used as a nonpharmacological care strategy in the healthcare field. Music breathing therapy is an adaptation of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. It has demonstrated promising potential for enhancing resilience and alleviating psychological distress among diverse populations, including women with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, individuals with work-related stress and caregivers of dementia patients. However, it is unclear whether this is a feasible and acceptable approach to enhance resilience, reduce psychological distress, and improve the quality of life of Chinese caregivers of children newly diagnosed with cancer.

Aims:

  • To assess the effects of a mobile health-delivered music breathing therapy in enhancing resilience, reducing psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and caregiver strain, and improving coping and quality of life of parental caregivers of children newly diagnosed with cancer
  • To determine the feasibility (in terms of recruitment rates, dropout rates, engagement rates, randomization process, and intervention delivery mode), and acceptability of the intervention.

Hypotheses:

It is hypothesized that compared with caregivers who receive usual care, those who receive the mHealth-delivered music breathing therapy will report higher levels of resilience (primary outcome), lower levels of psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and caregiver strain, better coping and quality of life at the 2-month (immediately after intervention) and 6-month follow-ups.

Enrollment

60 patients

Sex

All

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Parental caregivers (the primary caregiver; either mother or father) who

  • has a child (aged under 19 years) who has been diagnosed with cancer at least 2 months but not more than 12 months prior.
  • can read and communicate in Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin)
  • has Internet access through any mobile device (e.g., a cell phone, tablet or laptop with camera and microphone features).
  • is willing to download and use Zoom as the intervention delivery platform.

Exclusion criteria

  • has a child who has been diagnosed with cancer and has major comorbid conditions and/or who is receiving end-of-life care.
  • is caring for more than one child with a chronic or critical illness or caring for another family member with a chronic illness.
  • is currently participating in any interventions or additional counselling services.
  • has a diagnosed mental illness, cognitive impairment or learning problem, and/or is taking regular psychotropic medications

Trial design

Primary purpose

Supportive Care

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

60 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention group
Experimental group
Description:
Home-based music breathing therapy comprising eight 1-hour weekly sessions for 2 months delivered through Zoom, an online video conferencing platform, by a qualified music therapist.
Treatment:
Behavioral: mHealth-delivered music breathing therapy
Control group
Active Comparator group
Description:
Eight weekly online educational modules on medical information and advice about caring for a child who has been newly diagnosed with cancer via email for 2 months.
Treatment:
Behavioral: Online educational modules

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Central trial contact

Ankie Tan Cheung, PhD

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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