Music Therapy and Anxiety in Breast Cancer Patients
This paper reviews and analyzes a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted by Li et al. (2012) examining the effects of music therapy on anxiety among women with breast cancer following radical mastectomy. The trial enrolled 120 participants randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving music therapy alongside standard nursing care or a control group receiving standard nursing care alone. Drawing on Hall's Care, Cure, and Core model, the study measured state anxiety using the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) at one pre-test and three post-test intervals. The paper covers the study's background and significance, literature review, hypotheses, demographic variables, and research design, ultimately finding that music therapy significantly reduced anxiety scores in the experimental group.
- Introduction and Study Overview: Research team, trial design, and study aim
- Problem, Study Purpose, Background, and Significance: Rising breast cancer rates and anxiety as clinical problem
- Literature Review: Prior evidence on music therapy and cancer anxiety
- Hypothesis and Variables: SAI-based hypothesis and variable definitions
- Research Design: Randomized trial protocol and post-test intervals
- References: Full APA reference list for cited sources
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper clearly situates the clinical trial within a broader public health context, citing rising breast cancer incidence rates in China and globally to establish the study's significance.
- It provides precise demographic data for both control and experimental groups, demonstrating careful attention to sample comparability and research rigor.
- The paper integrates a formal theoretical framework — Hall's Care, Cure, and Core model — grounding the clinical application of music therapy within established nursing theory.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper employs critical appraisal of a primary research article, summarizing not only the study's findings but also its methodology, hypothesis structure, variable definitions, and limitations. By distinguishing between independent and dependent variables and identifying potential extraneous variables such as patient defensiveness and self-reporting bias, the paper demonstrates methodological awareness appropriate to graduate-level nursing or health science study.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows the structure of the source clinical trial itself: an introductory overview of the research team and study aim; a problem/significance section addressing the clinical gap; a literature review establishing prior evidence; a hypothesis and variables section defining the SAI-based measurement approach; and a research design section explaining the randomization protocol and post-test intervals. The reference list closes the paper in APA format.
Introduction and Study Overview
The randomized clinical study reviewed here, titled "Effects of Music Therapy on Anxiety of Patients with Breast Cancer after Radical Mastectomy," was performed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals. The team included Dr. Xiao-Mei Li (PhD in Nursing, RN), dean and associate professor of the nursing department at Jiaotong University's College of Medicine; Kai-Na Zhou (MSN, RN), assistant researcher in the same department; Professor Dr. Hong Yan (PhD), from the public health department of the same university's College of Medicine; Yin-Ping Zhang (PhD, RN), associate professor in the same department; and Professor Dr. Duo-Lao Wang (PhD) from the Medical Statistics department, Faculty of Population Health and Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
Hall's Care, Cure, and Core model provided the theoretical framework for the study. A clinical trial of 120 women suffering from breast cancer was conducted between March and November 2009, using a randomized controlled research design. Half the patients (n=60) were allocated randomly to the experimental group and were administered music therapy in addition to regular nursing care, while the remaining half were allocated to the control group (n=60) and received only regular nursing care. The aim of the research was to analyze and document in detail a clinical trial examining music therapy's impact on anxiety among women with breast cancer following radical mastectomy. The study found that music therapy positively affected anxiety — that is, it reduced anxiety scores.
Problem, Study Purpose, Background, and Significance
An alarming global rise in breast cancer cases among women prompted this research. The disease, treated by conventional means such as adjuvant therapies and surgery, can lead to acute psychological disorders in patients, the most commonly occurring problem being anxiety. The chief objective of this research was to analyze and document in detail a clinical trial examining music therapy's impact on anxiety among female patients with breast cancer following radical mastectomy.
Because of inadequate evidence regarding music therapy's effects, in-depth analysis was needed. In China, breast cancer incidence has risen by 37.6% over the last twenty years, with an average annual growth rate of 13%. Music therapy used as an adjuvant has been widely utilized to reduce anxiety among different types of patients. However, according to the article, there exists negligible information on music therapy's impact on anxiety among female patients with breast cancer following radical mastectomy. To address this anxiety, music therapy is employed in the care of cancer patients, addressing both their psychological and physical needs arising from radiation, chemotherapy, and the disease itself.
The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA, 2005) has provided the following definition for music therapy:
Music therapy denotes the evidence-based and clinical application of music to accomplishing individualized objectives in therapeutic relationships by any credentialed professional in the field who has completed an approved course in music therapy.
The therapy aims to improve, prevent, maintain, or remediate at least one clinical issue among patients, as stated in their rehabilitation or habilitation needs. In diverse nursing care contexts, music therapy may be administered by professional therapists as well as by unpaid caregivers, performing musicians, and volunteers. Even when music therapists are unavailable, the use of music in care has been advocated as a legitimate procedure within the nursing profession.
Literature Review
Research on music therapy's impact on patients with cancer across different diagnoses has demonstrated several benefits. A widely used approach — having patients listen to calming music — has proved successful in increasing patient relaxation and comfort, alleviating self-reported pain, decreasing vomiting and nausea, and reducing treatment-related distress and anxiety. Other studies have also shown that music therapy effectively evokes positive memories and emotions, expands consciousness, improves psychological health, decreases psychological symptoms such as fear, anxiety, worry, diastolic blood pressure, and fatigue, and improves moods, sleep, self-image, and quality of life (QOL) during the course of treatment (Bruscia et al., 2009; De Niet et al., 2009).
Breast cancer is currently growing rapidly and is observed in all parts of the world. Global statistics reveal that yearly breast cancer incidence is increasing even among nations that previously showed low incidence (Vahdaninia et al., 2010). Information from industrialized nations reveals that one out of every eight women is prone to the disease, which constitutes one of the major causes of cancer deaths among females aged 35 to 50 (Puig et al., 2006; Avci and Gozum, 2009). In 1972, 532 new breast cancer cases were recorded in China (standardized incidence per 100,000 individuals was between 18 and 90), making up 9.7% of all abnormal growths and ranking third among tumors. By 1999, 1,651 new cases were recorded (standardized incidence per 100,000 individuals was 52 to 98), and the disease ranked first among tumors. As of 2007, the standardized incidence per 100,000 persons had grown to 81 (Wu and Dong, 2009).
Music therapy's effectiveness in delivering the aforementioned benefits has been verified by patients, and outcomes are well-documented (Clark et al., 2006; Li et al., 2007; Jin et al., 2008; Lv et al., 2008; Wan et al., 2009). Nevertheless, few nursing studies have examined the application of music therapy among women with breast cancer following radical mastectomy. Literature findings indicate that the disease is prevalent in China and exhibits a rapid rise among specific female age groups. Additionally, patients experience high anxiety, which has been identified as a common issue. While prior research has shown music therapy to be valuable in reducing anxiety among cancer patients generally, the randomized controlled trial under study offers additional proof of music therapy's impact on state anxiety in female patients following radical mastectomy.
The primary breast cancer treatment modality is surgery along with adjuvants such as hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. These advanced cancer therapies are, however, aggressive and increase patient exposure to treatment side effects. Women with breast cancer — particularly those treated with radical mastectomy — face significant stresses, including a blow to their body image due to the loss of a breast. This can result in negative effects from unhealthy mood states. Disease- and treatment-related symptoms are key contributors to stress among women being treated for breast cancer. Of all symptoms, anxiety represents the most dominant psychological symptom among people diagnosed with breast cancer, with a prevalence of 21.1–29% in countries outside China (So et al., 2010) and 50–86.4% in China (Gao et al., 2006; Wang and Yan, 2007; Chen et al., 2009).
Of the 30 total in-text citations appearing in the literature review, 14 were published within the five years preceding the study.
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