Resources & references

This book offers a solid foundation for music therapy work with infants and children in pediatric medical settings, combining expert practice insights with a critical review of the existing literature.

This book presents knowledge on medical music therapy, covering work with adult patients across medical units and procedures, including various diseases and disorders.

Watch how music therapy can support children, adolescents and their families in a pediatric hospital setting, and learn how music therapists contribute to interdisciplinary care teams.

This video showcases the Jared Kurtin Music Therapy Program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, which is a clinical and evidence-based program for hospitalized infants, children and their families. This hospital is a leader in creative medical treatment options and has the first established pediatric music therapy program in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Watch music therapist Becky Ickes describe how she uses music therapy to support children in a pediatric hospital setting.

This article summarizes many ways in which music therapy is used in medical institutions. Testimonials from patients and interviews with therapists are featured. 
 

Learn what music therapy is and how it can help individuals with cancer as per the American Cancer Society. Using a combination of music experiences and conversation, music therapy can help manage symptoms and process emotions among patients.

This study explores the sociodemographic, clinical and intervention characteristics associated with clinically significant pain reductions for adults within a single music therapy session. Findings suggest that interventions involving singing, active instrument play, and relaxation/imagery may be more effective than interventions only involving listening. 

Click here to read a news article about the study.

Read an article discussing the use of an online group music therapy intervention for adults undergoing cancer treatment. Results show that, in spite of the limitations of online interventions, participants found the intervention to be useful in supporting them through their treatments.

Read an article exploring the use of music therapy for hospitalized children and, more specifically, the development and creation of heartbeat songs for families with a critically ill child, as a palliative measure. It also includes the description of the impact these songs can have, by featuring commentary from the parents of a baby who died.

Read a case study exploring the use of music therapy and, more specifically, therapeutic songwriting, on pain management during acute pain episodes in adolescent sickle cell disease patients. Results found that active music therapy interventions were more effective at managing pain than passive interventions, and that the song written during music therapy served as a coping resource by the teen outside of the therapeutic environment.

This article explores the effects of both group and individual music therapy sessions on cancer patients in Spain. Findings indicate a reduction of pain as well as enhancing relaxation, physical comfort, and emotional well-being.