Music therapy in paediatric palliative care: A scoping review

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review is to summarise the existing empirical evidence and produce an overview of the ways in which music therapy in paediatric palliative care is described in the literature, with a specific focus on hospital-at-home. It was performed through searches undertaken in eight databases and completed using the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. The findings of the scoping review indicate the following: (1) there is no clear definition of music therapy in paediatric palliative care; (2) there is limited research on paediatric palliative care; (3) music therapy in hospital-at-home offers isolated patients and families a feeling of connectedness; (4) both expressive and receptive music therapy approaches are included in the existing studies, emphasising the need to adapt to the patient’s age, abilities, interests and energy levels; and (5) the outcomes of the music therapy discussed in the literature focus on enhancing the quality of life. Overall, music therapy appears to be an asset for the interdisciplinary team working to improve quality of life, but research methods which respond specifically to the voices of the children and adolescents must be developed to improve paediatric palliative care further.