Efficacy of the Five-Element Music Therapy Combined with Mindfulness Meditation on the Fatigue, Anxiety and Depression of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients Who Are Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Summary

Adding five-element music therapy and mindfulness meditation to standard care reduces cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, and depression in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy. In a retrospective study of 78 patients, those receiving the combined intervention showed lower physical, emotional, and cognitive fatigue; lower depression and anxiety scores; better sleep quality; longer sleep duration; improved treatment compliance; higher nursing satisfaction; and better overall quality of life compared with those receiving conventional care alone. The combination appears to be a useful non-drug adjunct in oncology care.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) frequently experience cancer-related fatigue (CRF), anxiety and depression during chemotherapy, significantly impairing their quality of life. This study evaluates the efficacy of the five-element music therapy combined with mindfulness meditation in alleviating CRF and psychological distress amongst DLBCL patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. We conducted a retrospective study on 78 DLBCL patients who were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (June 2022-December 2023). The patients were divided as follows: (1) conventional care group (n = 39) and (2) conventional care + combined five-element music therapy and mindfulness meditation group (combined group, n = 39). The assessed outcomes included the following: Cancer Fatigue Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Hamilton Depression (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) scales, treatment compliance and nursing satisfaction scores. Compared with the conventional care group, the combined group had lower scores in physical fatigue, emotional fatigue and cognitive fatigue (all P < 0.001); lower scores in HAMD, HAMA and PSQI (all P < 0.001); longer sleep duration (P < 0.001); better compliance (P = 0.023); higher satisfaction (P = 0.042) and a higher score in EORTC QLQ-C30 (all P < 0.001). The combination of the five-element music therapy with mindfulness meditation reduces CRF, anxiety and depression amongst DLBCL chemotherapy patients whilst enhancing treatment compliance, sleep quality and overall quality of life. This combined non-pharmacological approach demonstrates promise as an adjunctive therapy in oncology care.