Music therapy in the PICU: an integrated synthesis of the literature and recommendations

Abstract

There is an expansive amount of music therapy literature that discusses how music therapy may alleviate adult pain, but there is limited research dedicated to pediatric pain management and music therapy. Even more scarce is how, why or when music therapy is provided for patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) suffering with chronic or acute pain. An integrative review was conducted to create a synthesis of the literature on music therapy being conducted for pediatric pain in the PICU. A total of 7 research articles and 3 book chapters met the authors’ search criteria for final analysis. These articles discussed specific circumstances where music therapy was utilized, with some examples being biopsies, ultrasounds, dressing changes, cardiac care, and utilization of mechanical ventilation. This integrative review demonstrated that music therapy may be helpful in regulating and managing pediatric pain for patients in the PICU. Music therapists and medical professionals must continue researching how music therapy can be utilized for PICU patients experiencing pain in order for these patients to receive the highest quality of evidence-based care.