Hanser 2006.

Study characteristics
Methods	RCT 2‐arm parallel‐group design
Participants	Women with metastatic breast cancer Diagnosis: metastatic breast cancer (stage IV) Total N randomized: 70 N randomized to music group: 35 N randomized to control group: 35 N analyzed in music group: 20 N analyzed in control group: 22 Mean age: 51.5 years Sex: 70 (100%) females, 0 males Ethnicity: 58 (83%) white, 7 (10%) black, 1 (2%) Latino Setting: outpatient Country: USA
Interventions	2 study groups: Music therapy group: music therapy sessions consisted of live music, improvisation, and songwriting. Control group: standard care Music provided: live music based on participant's preferences and needs Number of sessions: 3 Length of sessions: 45 min Categorized as music therapy
Outcomes	Depression (HADS): post‐test scores Anxiety (HADS): post‐test scores Physical well‐being (the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐General, FACT‐G Physical Wellbeing Subscale): post‐test scores QoL (FACT‐G): post‐test scores Spirituality (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy‐Spiritual Well‐being Scale, FACIT‐Sp): change scores
Notes	The 3 music sessions were spread over 15 weeks. Music therapy treatment was usually offered on a weekly or biweekly basis with this population. The author reported that it was not feasible to have participants come to the clinic each week and that because of this spread, the intervention was highly diluted. Therefore, the data of this study were not included in the meta‐analysis of this review.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "Computer‐generated random numbers determined the assignment of numbered folders to control or experimental conditions" (p. 117).
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "the participants opened the sealed envelope to reveal group assignment to either the experimental/music therapy intervention or control/usual care condition" (p. 117).
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Low risk	The music therapist and the participants could not be blinded.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Objective outcomes	Low risk	This study did not address objective outcomes.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Subjective outcomes	High risk	Self‐report measures were used for subjective outcomes.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	Attrition rate: n = 28 or 40%. Music therapy group participants cancelled before initiation of the study: (too busy, n = 5); from baseline to first follow‐up (too busy, n = 2; no interest, n = 2; moved, n = 1; health limits, n = 1; lost, n = 1); and from first to second follow‐up (health limits, n = 1; died, n = 1; lost, n = 1). Control group participants cancelled before the initiation of the study: (too busy, n = 2; died, n = 2); from baseline to first follow‐up (not interested, n = 1; moved, n = 1; died, n = 2); and from first to second follow‐up (died, n = 2; lost, n = 3)
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	No evidence of selective reporting
Other bias	High risk	The 3 music sessions were spread over 15 weeks. Music therapy treatment was usually offered on a weekly or biweekly basis with this population. The author reported that it was not feasible to have participants come to the clinic each week. No report of conflict of interest