How does the process of group singing impact on people affected by cancer? A grounded theory study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to build an understanding of how the process of singing impacts on those who are affected by cancer, including patients, staff, carers and those who have been bereaved. DESIGN: A qualitative study, informed by a grounded theory approach. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Patients with cancer, staff, carers and bereaved who had participated for a minimum of 6 weeks in one of two choirs for people affected by cancer. METHODS: 31 participants took part in Focus Group Interviews lasting between 45 min and an hour, and 1 participant had a face-to-face interview. FINDINGS: Four overarching themes emerged from the iterative analysis procedure. The overarching themes were: building resilience, social support, psychological dimensions and process issues. Following further analyses, a theoretical model was created to depict how building resilience underpins the findings. CONCLUSION: Group singing may be a suitable intervention for building resilience in those affected by cancer via an interaction between the experience and impact of the choir.