Music therapist and researcher Victoria Kammin recognised that stakeholder experiences of music therapy in this clinical area were under-represented in existing literature and therefore did not contribute to service development. With a small grant from the Music Therapy Charity, she conducted the first international review of stakeholder experiences of music therapy in paediatric palliative care.
Her findings highlight the unique benefits of music therapy, particularly in supporting child and family wellbeing and the importance of therapists’ interpersonal skills and experience in paediatric palliative care. Victoria is now planning to interview children and parents directly to inform future service design. Her work will help to ensure that the voices of families are central to how music therapy is delivered in children’s hospices.
Children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families need physical and emotional support to manage the challenges of their lives. However, there has been a lack of synthesised qualitative research about how music therapy is experienced by children, young people and their families supported by paediatric palliative care services. Whilst the benefits of music therapy in paediatric palliative care are recognised, provision varies considerably within and across countries. Stakeholder experiences of music therapy in paediatric palliative care were under-represented in existing literature and therefore did not contribute to service development. There was no international review of experiences of music therapy in paediatric palliative care.
My project systematically identified and synthesised qualitative research on experiences of music therapy in paediatric palliative care from stakeholder perspectives. I undertook a Qualitative Evidence Synthesis using Thematic Synthesis.
I found that Music therapy provides unique benefits for this paediatric population, particularly in supporting child and family wellbeing. The therapeutic relationship, interpersonal skills of the therapist and experience in paediatric palliative care were perceived as central to these positive outcomes.
I published the results of the review in Palliative Medicine in April 2024, including recommendations that Paediatric Palliative Care settings should strive for music therapy provision for children and families, using their services to support child and family wellbeing. It also recommended that the interpersonal skills and experience of music therapists should be central to their recruitment process, and that they should be provided with ongoing training and support. It was recommended that further high-quality research was undertaken that captures the voices of the children and families articulating their own experiences of music therapy, positioning these voices as central to service development and provision.
I have since begun a primary qualitative study entitled ‘Understanding Child and Parent Experience of receiving Music Therapy in a Children’s Hospice setting: a qualitative study of child and parent experiences and perspectives’. I will speak to children and parents about their experiences of music therapy received in children’s hospices to help understand what is important for future service design and development. I hope to include 20 parents or legal guardians of children and young people supported by a children’s hospice and 10 children and young people with life limiting conditions who have received music therapy in this setting. I have been working closely with a parent advisory group who are providing input throughout the study. This study will provide important evidence to inform future policy and service developments in music therapy within children’s hospices in the UK.
Victoria Kammin is an HCPC-registered music therapist, educator, researcher, clinical supervisor and consultant specialising in paediatric palliative care. She is undertaking a PhD with the Paediatric Palliative Care Research Group at the University of York, a lecturer at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and Director of Resonance Creative Therapy.