Personalized music and hypnosis interventions in palliative and end-of-life care at home: A randomized controlled pilot study.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a personalized intervention integrating pre-recorded hypnosis and/or music in palliative and end-of-life care, and explore patient preferences and experiences.

METHODS

Forty patients receiving palliative and end-of-life care at home were recruited and randomly assigned to the experimental group or the control/delayed intervention group. Two intervention sessions were conducted within one week, featuring the following modalities tailored to patient preferences: pre-recorded music, hypnosis, or a combination of music and hypnosis. Participants provided self-ratings of their symptoms and distress at predetermined time points using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale and the Distress Thermometer. We used a mixed-effects model to address the quantitative objectives, and we conducted a content analysis to meet the qualitative objectives.

RESULTS

The intervention program significantly reduced participants' distress, showing a medium effect size when comparing the intervention sessions to the control sessions. We also found a medium effect size for improved well-being between groups. Intervention modality did not appear to affect the responses. Participants reported calmness and well-being. The voluntary use of these interventions post-experiment emphasizes their relevance for palliative and end-of-life care. The qualitative findings were consistent with the quantitative results, and revealed additional potential uses and ways to improve the intervention.

CONCLUSION

The personalized pre-recorded music and hypnosis interventions appear to be effective in reducing distress and show great potential for enhancing the overall well-being of individuals in palliative and end-of-life care. Further studies are needed to determine how these findings can be applied to a broader population.