Using a musical training to promote psychological well-being and quality of life among paediatric survivors of brain tumours: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Brain tumour and its treatment pose long‐lasting adverse effects on the psychological well‐being of paediatric survivors and consequently compromise their overall quality of life. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a musical training program in promoting the psychological well‐being and quality of life for Hong Kong Chinese paediatric brain tumours survivors from the perspectives of survivors, their parents and interventionists. The intervention consisted of a weekly 45‐minute musical training session for 52 weeks delivered by professional orchestral performers at the participants’ homes. Design/Methods: A phenomenological approach was employed. A total of 18 paediatric brain tumour survivors who received musical training and their parents (11 mothers and 7 fathers), and 6 interventionists were successfully interviewed. The attendance rate and retention rate were reported. Results: Four main themes emerged from the results of the interviews, including overall satisfaction towards the training program, perceived benefits, acceptability of the training program, and recommendations for improvement. In general, all interviewed children, their parents, and interventionists were highly satisfied with the intervention. Many children found musical training to be helpful for inducing positive mood, improving abilities in managing and expressing emotions, and eliciting a sense of achievement. Recommendations included an increase in frequency and duration of the intervention, and conducting a mini‐concert after the completion of the program to offer an opportunity for the children to show their musical achievements to the public. In addition, a high attendance rate was reported, with about 80% of participants had attended all musical training sessions. Moreover, the retention rate was high, with 93.3% of participants completed the study. Conclusions: Musical training was feasible to be conducted in the Hong Kong context. Additionally, musical training was well accepted by the paediatric brain tumour survivors as an intervention to promote their psychological well‐being and quality of life.