Storytelling Through Music With Parents Whose Children Have Died From Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Grief Studies
• Intervention Research

Background:

• Bereaved parents face higher morbidity and mortality rates.
• Resources for bereavement care are limited, and interventions often lack empirical evidence.
• Existing studies may not align with key theoretical concepts in grief and coping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a 6-week online intervention, Storytelling Through Music (STM), for parents who have lost a child to cancer.
• STM aims to facilitate loss- and restoration-oriented coping by creating a legacy piece (story and song).
• The intervention seeks to help bereaved parents adapt to finding meaning after loss.

Main Methods:

• A two-group, randomized controlled trial comparing STM to a waitlist control group.
• The intervention was delivered online in a group setting.
• Feasibility and acceptability were assessed using descriptive statistics and content analysis; psychosocial, coping, and grief outcomes were evaluated using RM ANOVA.

Main Results:

• Twenty-three parents were enrolled in the study.
• The online delivery of STM was found to be feasible and acceptable to participants.
• Preliminary evidence suggests STM reduces prolonged grief and loneliness.

Conclusions:

• Storytelling Through Music (STM) is a theoretically driven, innovative intervention for a high-risk, underserved population of bereaved parents.
• The findings support the online delivery of STM and its acceptability.
• Combining music with storytelling and writing offers unique expressive benefits and shows preliminary improvements in psychosocial well-being, coping, and grief intensity.