Drugs/Therapy

Young Cancer Patients Should Make Music Videos, Study Suggests

By Kamal Nayan | Update Date: Jan 27, 2014 08:31 AM EST

Making music videos during treatment for cancer has a positive impact on the teenagers and young people, according to a new study. 

Researchers monitored the experiences of a group of patients aged 11-24 as they tried their hands on producing music videos over three weeks. 

According to researchers, it helped patients in gaining more resilience and also improved their relationships with family and friends. 

The patients considered in the study were undergoing high-risk stem-cell transplant treatments. 

In the session, young patients were asked to write song lyrics and record sounds. A qualified music therapist was appointed to look after as they produced their music videos. 

After the session, researchers found that the group who made music videos were more resilient compared to other group that did not go under music therapy. 

Nearly 100 days after treatment, the group was also observed to develop more ease in communicating with their parents and friends. 

"These protective factors influence the ways adolescents and young adults cope, gain hope and find meaning in the midst of their cancer journey," said lead study author Dr Joan Haase, of Indiana University School of Nursing, according to BBC.

"Adolescents and young people who are resilient have the ability to rise above their illness, gain a sense of mastery and confidence in how they have dealt with their cancer, and demonstrate a desire to reach out and help others."

"When everything else is so uncertain, songs that are familiar to them are meaningful and make them feel connected," explained Sheri Robb, a music therapist who worked on the study, according to BBC.

Another study by Cancer Research UK said music therapy helped people with cancer in reducing their anxiety and ultimately resulting in improved quality of life. 

The findings of the story is published in the journal Cancer.

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