Effectiveness of a Nurse-Led Songwriting Intervention on Quality of Life for Individuals with Chronic Pain

Abstract Chronic pain affects 20% of the U.S. and global population. With the worsening opioid crisis there is a growing need for alternative therapies. Individuals with chronic pain often experience depression, stress, and poor quality of life. The Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms guided this prospective cohort design project in a pilot study (N = 13) examining the effectiveness of songwriting to improve quality of life in this population. A master’s prepared nurse and experienced songwriter administered 6 weekly songwriting sessions in an online chronic pain support group. Chronic pain (Graded Chronic Pain Scale-Revised & Pain Enjoyment General Activities subscale), depression (Patient Health Questionaire-9), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF) were measured before and after the intervention. The mean PEG score pre-intervention was 20.54 (SD 5.32) and post-intervention was 17.16 (SD 6.78), t (12) = 3.29 p \u3c .01. There was a statistically significant reduction in chronic pain from pre-intervention to post-intervention in PEG scores. The mean depression scores (PHQ-9) were unchanged from pre-intervention to post-intervention (8.85). Participants’ mean stress scores (PSS) decreased slightly from pre-intervention, 20.15 (SD 7.47) to post-intervention, 19.46 (SD 7.9). There was a statistically significant increase in the participants’ social health scores (WHOQOL-BREF) from pre-intervention 4.62 (SD 2.06) to post-intervention 7.9 (SD 2.47), t (12) = 9.54, p \u3c .001. As their social support increased, so did physical and psychological health in this pilot study. The 13 participants expressed positive feedback about being with others they could identify with and learning a new way to cope with chronic pain. Keywords: chronic pain, music interventions, quality of life, songwritin