Comparison of the Effect of Music Therapy and Writing Therapy on the Anxiety and Depression of Students with Cancer

Introduction: Depression and anxiety have a negative effect on cancer, so its evaluation and treatment are important in these patients. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two music-based therapies and to write down the levels of anxiety and depression in students with cancer. Methods: The present semi-experimental study was a pretest and posttest with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all students aged 14-8 years with cancer in the first six months of 2019 who were hospitalized in Bandar Abbas Childrenchr('39')s Hospital; A total of 45 subjects were randomly selected and randomly assigned to two test groups and a control group (15 subjects each). All subjects were tested before and after treatment with the Spence Anxiety Test and the Barlson Depression. The experimental groups underwent music therapy and writing therapy, but the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were analyzed by statistical tests. Results: The results showed that music therapy and writing therapy had an effect on depression and anxiety in students with cancer, and there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two treatments (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Based on the results of the research, music therapy and writing therapy can be used as a complementary, non-pharmacological treatment and effective methods to reduce anxiety and depression in students with cancer.