Background
Evidence has shown that survivors of pediatric brain tumors have more negative psychological sequela, particularly depression, than do survivors of other childhood cancers. This study examined the efficacy of a musical training program in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing self‐esteem and quality of life in Hong Kong Chinese pediatric brain tumor survivors.
Methods
A prospective randomized controlled trial, two‐group pretest and repeated posttest, between‐subjects design was conducted to 60 pediatric brain tumor survivors (8‐5 years old). Participants in the experimental group received a weekly 45‐min lesson on musical training for 52 weeks. Participants in the control group received a placebo intervention. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were self‐esteem and quality of life at 12 months. Data were collected at baseline and 6 and 12 months after the intervention began.
Results
Participants in the experimental group reported statistically significant fewer depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), higher levels of self‐esteem (P < 0.001), and better quality of life (P < 0.001) than the control group at 12‐month follow‐up.
Conclusions
This study provides evidence that musical training is effective in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing self‐esteem and quality of life in Hong Kong Chinese pediatric brain tumor survivors. These results indicate that musical training is not only a leisure activity but also carries therapeutic effects in promoting psychological well‐being and quality of life in pediatric brain tumor survivors.
The Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department has recently launched a set of guidance notes on indoor air quality (IAQ) management for offices and public places. An IAQ Certification Programme will be conducted on a self-regulatory basis that is intended to divide IAQ in mechanically ventilated buildings into three classes. Due to the large number of buildings in Hong Kong and the associated cost implications, a simplified, operationally feasible and scientifically sound assessment has been developed. Twenty-five government buildings covering eight different types of premises were examined in a trial-run programme to verify the validity of the proposed methodology. Among these 25 premises, only 1 (4%) achieved level 1 while 11 (44%) achieved the level 2 objective. The remaining 13 premises (52%) met the level 3 objective. High concentrations of volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide were found to be the dominating parameters that made a building unable to meet class level 2. This measurement study has also illustrated the very different nature of IAQ found in different types of buildings where the pattern of air conditioning operation and indoor air pollutant sources can influence it substantially.
Background
Caring for children with cancer can be a stressful experience for parents and may have negative effects on their physical and psychological well-being. Although evidence has shown that resilience is associated with positive psychological well-being, few interventions have been specifically designed to enhance the resilience of parents of children with cancer.
Objective
The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a mobile device–based resilience training program in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing resilience and quality of life (QoL) in parents of children with cancer.
Methods
Parents of children diagnosed with cancer were recruited from the pediatric oncology wards of 3 tertiary hospitals in China. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (52/103, 50.5%) to undergo an 8-week mobile device–based resilience training program or to the control group (51/103, 49.5%) to receive an 8-week program of placebo information. The study outcomes included resilience, depressive symptoms, and QoL, as measured by the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Short Form of the 6-Dimension Health Survey, respectively. All data were collected at baseline and at 2 and 6 months of follow-up. The data analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle. A generalized estimating equation was used to examine the effects of the intervention.
Results
The participants were mostly female (72/103, 69.9%), and their mean age was 33.6 (SD 5.2) years. The participants in the experimental group showed significantly higher levels of resilience (mean 67.96, SD 15.8 vs mean 58.27, SD 19.0; P<.001) and lower levels of depressive symptoms (mean 40.17, SD 9.9 vs mean 46.04, SD 10.9; P<.001) than those in the control group at 6 months of follow-up. The intervention showed statistically significant effects in improving resilience (β=6.082; P=.01) and decreasing depressive symptoms (β=−2.772; P=.04) relative to the control group. The QoL score in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group at 6 months of follow-up (mean 0.79, SD 0.2 vs mean 0.76, SD 0.3; P=.07); however, no statistically significant intervention effect was detected (β=.020; P=.38).
Conclusions
The mobile device–based resilience training program effectively enhanced resilience and alleviated depressive symptoms in parents of children with cancer. It is highly recommended that health care professionals incorporate this resilience training program when providing psychological care to parents of children with cancer.
Trial Registration
Clinical.Trials.gov NCT04038242; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04038242
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