Feasibility Study of the Storytelling Through Music Intervention with Bereaved Parents

Plain-language summary

The death of a child, at any age, is considered one of the most stressful life events a person can experience. In 2020, 11,050 children (under 15 years), 5,000 adolescents (15-19 years) and 60,000 young adults (20-39 years) were estimated to be diagnosed with cancer in the US. While the five-year survival is better for children than adults, over 10,000 children, adolescents, and young adults die from cancer in the US each year.1 Bereaved parents often experience intense and lasting psychological distress resulting in significantly higher morbidity and mortality compared to non-bereaved parents. Twenty-five percent of bereaved parents report new diagnoses of illnesses including prediabetes, anxiety and sleep disorders. Bereaved parents also experience psychological distress such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and grief-related depressive symptoms that continue to be significant for years after a child's death. A recent study showed that nearly 33% of bereaved parents suffered from prolonged grief five years after their loss.6 Physiologically, studies show increased cortisol, immune, endocrine, and cardio biomarkers in people with prolonged grief. The death of a child can also affect family and social relationships resulting in decreased communication, feelings of isolation, absence of close social relationships and increased marital strain and divorce. The purpose of this randomized controlled pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a six-week multi-dimensional intervention, Storytelling Through Music (STM), with parents of children who have died from cancer. STM combines multiple modalities of expression (storytelling, writing, and music) to facilitate loss- and restoration-oriented coping by creating a legacy piece (self-written story paired with song) to facilitate continuing bonds with the deceased and find meaning.

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