NCT06047808

Feasibility Study of the Storytelling Through Music Intervention with Bereaved Parents

Completed NA Last updated 13 March 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Storytelling Through Music in Pediatric Cancer in 23 participants. Completed in 30 July 2024.

Timeline

1 May 2023

Primary endpoint
30 July 2024

30 July 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Texas at Austin
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	none
Primary purpose	supportive care
Enrollment	23
Start date	1 May 2023
Primary completion	30 July 2024
Estimated completion	30 July 2024
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Storytelling Through Music

Conditions studied

• Pediatric Cancer — all drugs for Pediatric Cancer →
• Grief — all drugs for Grief →
• Well-Being, Psychological — all drugs for Well-Being, Psychological →
• Coping Strategies — all drugs for Coping Strategies →

Sponsor

University of Texas at Austin

Who can join

Adults 18 to 99, any sex, with Pediatric Cancer or Grief. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

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.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial. Completed trials usually publish results within 12-18 months.