| dc.description.abstract | This study examines, among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy,
the influence of relaxation training plus guided imagery on quality of
life. Nineteen patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups.
The experimental group subjects were given an audiotape containing
relaxation and guided imagery and were instructed to listen daily for
six weeks. The control group subjects were instructed to take time
every day and relax while listening to music prepared by the
investigator. A ll subjects completed the Functional Living Index for
Cancer, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales, and the
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. In addition, physicians rated subjects'
level of physical functioning using the ECOG scale, as w ell as the
chemotherapy Intensity of treatment regime. Results indicate that
subjects who listened to the relaxing music reported a significant
Increase in quality of life from pre to post intervention, while the
experimental or Imagery group subjects did not. Subjects in both
groups reported significant decreases In state anxiety, but only
subjects in the control group reported a significant change in trait
anxiety over the course of the Intervention. In addition, subjects who
scored lower on a measure of internal locus of control experienced the
greatest improvement In quality of life over the course of the six week
intervention. The results implicate the toxicity of chemotherapy as a
factor influencing quality of life , and suggest that the benefits of
relaxation for the patient undergoing chemotherapy can be achieved by
simply taking time each day to enjoy the calming effects of music. | |
