Effects of single session music therapy on hospitalized patients recovering from a bone marrow transplant: Two studies

The purpose of these studies was to determine the effects of single session music therapy on inpatients in an adult bone marrow transplant unit. In Study 1, the researchers examined the effects of patient-preferred live music on anxiety, nausea, fatigue, pain, and relaxation for hospitalized patients (N = 50) recovering from a bone marrow transplant utilizing a pretest, posttest, and follow-up design with Likert-Type Scales. In Study 2, the researchers utilized a randomized controlled trial with pre and posttests to determine how music therapy might effect fatigue (N = 18). In Study 1, results were significant for relaxation, anxiety, and fatigue from pre to posttest. Although ratings tended to worsen slightly from posttest to follow-up, follow-up measurements maintained an improvement when compared with pretest scores. Results of Study 2 indicated no significant differences between- or within-group differences concerning fatigue. However, analyses of mean fatigue data indicated a slight decrease from pre to posttest for experimental participants and a slight increase from pre to posttest for control participants. Results of both studies indicate that a single music therapy session can have a positive effect on inpatients recovering from bone marrow transplants. Implications for clinical practice, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are provided.