Music therapy supported the health-related quality of life for children undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplants

Aim: Paediatric haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a stressful treatment with an impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and supportive interventions are needed. This study evaluated the effects of music therapy during and after HSCT. Methods: This was a randomised clinical pilot study of 29 patients aged 0–17 years who underwent HSCT at Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden, between February 2013 and May 2017. The music therapy group comprised 14 children who received the music therapy during hospitalisation. Fifteen children in the control group received the intervention after discharge. Music therapy was offered twice a week for four to six weeks. The patients’ HRQoL, pain and mood were evaluated at admission, discharge and after six months. The instruments for HRQoL included the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 generic core scales. Results: The scales showed that the music therapy group had a higher estimated physical function (adjusted p = 0.04) at the time of discharge, and the control group showed improved results after the intervention in all domains (p = 0.015). Conclusion: Despite the small sample, we found improved HRQoL after music therapy, which suggests that it could be a complementary intervention during and after paediatric HSCT.