Patient and public involvement (PPI) in designing a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of therapist-led music therapy for reducing anxiety in children and adolescents living with chronic illness
Aim: To describe how children, adolescents, and carers informed the design of a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of therapist-led music therapy for reducing anxiety and distress in children and adolescents living with chronic illness.
Methods: A focus group was held in a paediatric healthcare setting at an NHS Trust with children and adolescents living with chronic illness and their parents or carers. Creative activities supported participants to express their concerns and identify priorities for psychological support through music. The planned review, registered in PROSPERO, will synthesise controlled studies comparing music therapy delivered by qualified music therapists with usual care or other control conditions in children and adolescents aged 0-18 years. Anxiety and distress outcomes will be pooled through meta-analysis where appropriate, with assessment of risk of bias and certainty of evidence.
PPI outcomes: Participants’ input refined the initial focus on psychological interventions in general to music therapy and identified anxiety and distress as priority outcomes. Recorded statements captured participants’ expectations for how the findings could inform the services they receive.
Conclusion: This PPI process aligned the review with patients’ and families’ priorities. The findings are expected to inform discussions about the role of therapist-led music therapy in paediatric chronic illness services.