Music Therapy Songwriting and Mental Health in Neonatel Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Parents
Short-term Effectiveness of Music Therapy Songwriting on Mental Health Outcomes of At-risk Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: an International Multicenter Mixed-methods Study.
Claudia Aristizábal
102 participants
Jul 30, 2024
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The mental health of parents of preterm newborns (PTNB) is negatively affected by prolonged hospitalization of the PTNB in the intensive care unit. This produces changes in the role of the parents and the bond with the newborn, leading to states of depression, anxiety, and stress. Several strategies, including music therapy, have been implemented to mitigate the negative impact on the parents' mental health. The main objectives of the proposed trial are to determine whether Music Therapy (MT) songwriting combined with standard care (SC) during NICU stay is superior to SC alone in reducing the risk of postpartum depression in at-risk parents of preterm children at the end of treatment, and understand the lived experiences of participating parents who received music therapy for their mental health.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria3
- The study population consisted of parents/caregivers of newborns hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with gestational ages of ≤32 weeks and expected hospitalizations of at least three weeks. In the case of a twin pregnancy, the firstborn infant was randomly assigned to one of the intervention groups, while both infants received the same treatment according to the outcome of randomization.
- Mother a total score of ≥10 and/or father a total score of ≥7 on the EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale)
- Mother and/or father a total score of ≥8 on the GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale)
Exclusion Criteria3
- Parents/caregivers with known auditory problems that prevent participation in MT.
- Moreover parents/caregivers with a documented mental illness or cognitive impairment that prevents them from being able to complete the study intervention or outcome assessments.
- Parents/caregivers of premature infants in palliative or end-of-life care, infants with known hearing impairment, or infants in the custody of social services.
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Interventions
Session 1: The goal of the first music therapy session is to know the parents musically and to provide information about song creation. This is achieved by exploring their favorite songs. Options for creating a song (original song or song parody) are presented and possibilities for creating lyrics are discussed. Sessions 2-7: The structure of the song will be created and discussed with the parents. Parents will also be invited to include written messages from other family members in the lyrics if they wish. In each session, the developing welcome song is sung together with the parents, accompanied by the music therapist, who provides vocal or instrumental support. The final sessions (Sessions 8-9) are dedicated to singing the final version of the song with the parents and their infant. Should the parents desire, a final recording of the song will also be made and the digital songbook will be created.
Locations(5)
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NCT06423092