Exploring Young Adults' Perspectives of Participation in a Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy Intervention Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: To explore adolescent and young adults' (AYAs) experiences with participation in a mindfulness-based music therapy intervention during cancer treatment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Sixteen young adults (20-39 years old) who received cancer treatment and participated in a mindfulness-based music therapy intervention for anxiety and stress were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The interview guide contained prompts about reasons for joining the study, usual coping strategies, experience with the in-person and virtual delivery formats of the intervention, and suggestions for improvement. Themes were derived from the data using inductive content analysis methods. Results: Findings from the interviews included the following: (1) virtual group participants reported difficulty finding a private place to attend the intervention sessions, (2) participants experienced a sense of relaxation in response to intervention participation, (3) in-person group participants felt a sense of connection to the music and their family members who were present during the intervention, while virtual group participants felt a sense of connection to mindfulness, (4) virtual group participants reported that practicing music and mindfulness together was synergistic, and (5) in-person intervention delivery was preferred to virtual intervention delivery. Conclusion: This study provides insight into the contextual factors that impact satisfaction with the intervention and the effect of the intervention on anxiety and stress. Overall, while virtual mindfulness-based music therapy delivery may be more feasible, there are still important advantages to in-person delivery that should be considered in the design of future mindfulness-based music therapy interventions. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03709225.