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Introduction
Lesiuk (2015) is a healthcare professional and scientist focused on the use of music therapy. She conducted research to discuss the advantages of this intervention for nursing practice. Her article reveals that attention and mood can be improved with this therapy in women with breast cancer.
Purpose
The article written by Lesiuk (2015) is focused on the use of the mindfulness-based music therapy (MBMT). The researcher pays much attention to the women’s health and discusses the issue of breast cancer in detail. She admits that the use of the chemotherapy is required for this population because it is the best treatment option that can enhance their condition, but considers that additional measures can turn out to be extremely beneficial for the expected health outcomes. In particular, with the help of her research, Lesiuk (2015) explores the usefulness of the MBMT as a tool that provides an opportunity to enhance attention and improve mood in patients. This purpose is significant for nursing practice because those women who have cancer and are treated with chemotherapy suffer from adverse influences of both their disease and medical intervention (“Attention,” 2016; Conley, Bishop, & Andersen, 2016). Lesiuk’s findings can reveal the way of enhancing the quality of life of these women.
Research Question
Even though the author does not identify her research question directly in the paper of the article, it is possible to identify it while reading the paper and exploring those themes that attracted Lesiuk’s attention. In particular, the researcher seems to be willing to find out whether her intervention (MBMT) has positive effects on attention and mood in the targeted population or not. The decision to focus on this question can be made due to the fact that adjuvant chemotherapy has negative influences on patients’ well-being. Worsened attention and increased mood distress are considered because they are often observed in this population.
Research Design
The author conducted a quantitative research study, as it provided an opportunity to work with numerical data that can be easily measured. Moreover, it allows reaching objective results that are not biased by personal perceptions of the researcher or the sample (Jones, 2017). Descriptive research made it possible to observe individuals within their natural environment without the increase of stressful situations, which is critical because the author is interested in alterations of their mood (“Advantages and disadvantages,” n.d.). A longitudinal approach was used to develop the study, which is advantageous as the researcher did not affect the sample’s perceptions of treatment and accurate data was obtained (“11 advantages and disadvantages,” 2016).
Sample
The sample of the study includes 15 women from 27 to 70 years old. They all are diagnosed with breast cancer but experience different stages (I-III). In addition to that, all participants are treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, approximately every 3 weeks for 6 cycles. They also had almost 2 years of music training. Two individuals were active music makers, and five had some meditation experience. The size of the sample is rather small and prevents the author from using her findings for a larger population. Nevertheless, a selected population is diverse enough to use this research as a basis for future studies.
Data Collection
The data used in the study was collected by healthcare professionals and shared with the researcher. Patients’ homework, the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test II and POMS-BF were used to obtain information needed for the study. No ethical considerations are discussed in the article, which is critical because the focus is on human beings, but it seems that the sample’s anonymity was ensured.
Limitations
The major limitation of this research is the sample size. In addition to that, a wait-list control condition is not selected. Even though all participants faced chemotherapy, its duration differed. Moreover, it is possible to use not only individual sessions of the MBMT but also group ones, as associated social connection may have a positive influence on women’s condition. The current study does not focus on patients with stage IV cancer and home or work-related stress that can affect women’s mood and attention significantly. The presence of these limitations can affect the accuracy of obtained results and reveal biased effects of the MBMT.
Findings
Lesiuk (2015) managed to find out that the MBMT sessions led to the improved attention and mood in patients. A significant reduction was observed considering anger, confusion, depression, tension, and vigor. Nevertheless, the most critical enhancement dealt with the state of fatigue. Due to the treatment peculiarities, patients experienced the highest levels of fatigue, and its substantial reduction was observed, which is likely to have positive influences on patients’ well-being. These findings support the research question and provide an opportunity to observe advantages of the discussed intervention for women with breast cancer.
Summary
Lesiuk (2015) developed a quantitative descriptive study with a longitudinal approach focusing on women with breast cancer who were treated with chemotherapy. The purpose of her research was to reveal if the MBMT can enhance attention and mood in these patients. The sample included 15 women of different demographic characteristics. After individual sessions of the MBMT, their attention and mood were measured. Significant improvement of both variables was observed, especially considering the state of fatigue. These findings presuppose that women with breast cancer can be encouraged to have the MBMT. Nevertheless, additional research on a wider population is needed to ensure the effectiveness of the intervention.
Conclusion
Thus, the author managed to conclude that the MBMT sessions improve both mood and attention in women with cancer who are treated with chemotherapy. She encourages patients to practice mindfulness and listening to preferred music. Even though this intervention can be used in practice already, additional research with larger sample size is required.
References
Advantages and disadvantages of descriptive research. (n.d.).
Attention, thinking, or memory problems. (2016).
Conley, C., Bishop, B., & Andersen, B. (2016). Emotions and emotion regulation in breast cancer survivorship. Healthcare, 4(3), 56. Web.
11 advantages and disadvantages of longitudinal studies. (2016).
Jones, C. (2017). Advantages & disadvantages of qualitative & quantitative research.
Lesiuk, T. (2015). The effect of mindfulness-based music therapy on attention and mood in women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: A pilot study. Oncology Nursing Forum, 42(3), 276-282.
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