Unravelling the role of mind-body therapies in paediatric palliative care: A narrative review.
Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) May 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17097 via PubMed
Summary
Mind-body therapies such as meditation, mindfulness, biofeedback, hypnosis, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, imagery, creative outlets, and art therapy are increasingly used in paediatric palliative care (PPC) due to its complex nature. A review of studies from PubMed and CINHAL found that these therapies are consistently described as harmless and show some benefits for anxiety, stress, and quality of life in parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers. However, robust evidence does not fully support their efficacy, especially for patients. The authors suggest that mind-body therapies warrant further investigation through larger controlled studies tailored to different populations of PPC children, parents, caregivers, and professionals.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Integrative medicine Mind–body therapies Paediatric palliative care Psychological burden Quality of life |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | Mind-body therapies show some benefits for anxiety, stress, and quality of life in parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers in paediatric palliative care, but robust evidence does not fully support their efficacy, especially in patients. |
Abstract
Given the multifaceted nature of paediatric palliative care (PPC), integrative medicine and mind-body therapies, in particular, are increasingly used in this setting. However, to our knowledge, their use in PPC has never been specifically reviewed. Therefore, this work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the application and possible beneficial effects of mind-body therapies in the PPC setting. Papers about the use of meditation and mindfulness, biofeedback, hypnosis, yoga, tai chi and qi gong, imagery, creative outlets, and art therapy in PPC were identified by browsing PubMed and CINHAL. We found that the harmless nature of mind-body therapies has been extensively described, and available studies consistently show some benefits on the anxiety, stress, and quality of life of parents/caregivers and healthcare providers. However, well-grounded and robust evidence does not fully support the efficacy of mind-body therapies, especially in patients. Considering the peculiarity of the PPC setting, we suggest that mind-body therapies should be further considered and properly investigated through larger controlled studies and according to the different populations of PPC children, as well as for parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.