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Pediatric brain tumor survivors’ lived experience of engaging in a musical training program which promoted their psychological well-being: a qualitative study

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Abstract

Purpose

Musical training has been found to promote psychological well-being and quality of life among pediatric brain tumor survivors. Yet, the essential elements of musical training that influence its efficacy remain unknown. This study aimed to examine the lived experience of engaging in the musical training program from the perspectives of pediatric brain tumor survivors, their parents, and interveners.

Methods

We employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. Twenty pediatric brain tumor survivors (aged 8–15 years) who had undergone musical training in a previous trial were selected, along with their parents (13 mothers and 7 fathers) and 7 interveners, to participate in individual semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was conducted according to Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenology method.

Results

Five main themes emerged from the interviews: overcoming difficulties encountered during the initial phase of the musical training program, improved psychological and emotional well-being, facilitation of participation in musical training program, appreciation of the benefits of joining the musical training program, and expectation of future musical training program. The musical training program improved the psychological and emotional well-being of pediatric brain tumor survivors by promoting positive mood, facilitating emotional management and expression, and enhancing self-confidence. In addition, learning in a supportive environment is crucial in facilitating survivors to overcome adversity during their learning process.

Conclusion

This study addressed a literature gap by exploring how a musical training program promoted psychological well-being among pediatric brain tumor survivors. The study findings inform the importance of tailoring musical training program based on survivors’ learning abilities and needs.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the children, parents, and musicians for participating in the interviews.

Funding

This study was funded by the Seed Fund for Basic Research, The University of Hong Kong (grant number 201511159063).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, 4/F, William M. W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Ankie Tan Cheung, William Ho Cheung Li, Laurie Long Kwan Ho & Wei Xia

  2. Department of Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Godfrey Chi Fung Chan

  3. School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Joyce Oi Kwan Chung

Authors
  1. Ankie Tan Cheung
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  2. William Ho Cheung Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to William Ho Cheung Li.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster/the University of Hong Kong (reference number, UW 16-023). The Declaration of Helsinki (http://www.accreditgcp.com/download/Helsinki.pdf) was strictly followed to ensure the rights of the participants are protected.

Statement of informed consent

The nature and purposes of the study were explicitly explained to the participants prior to the interview. Written and verbal consent were obtained from all participants, who were assured that they would have complete anonymity and confidentiality with respect to the opinions and responses given during the interview. Consent from children was gained by inviting them to put their names on a specially designed assent form to indicate their voluntary participation in the study.

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Cite this article

Cheung, A.T., Li, W.H.C., Ho, L.L.K. et al. Pediatric brain tumor survivors’ lived experience of engaging in a musical training program which promoted their psychological well-being: a qualitative study. Support Care Cancer 29, 3145–3154 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05833-y

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