Music-intervention programs improve patients’ anxiety, depression, pain, and fatigue

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

A recent meta-analysis sought to ascertain the effectiveness of music therapy to improve anxiety, depression, pain, and fatigue in patients with cancer.

This is the first study to assess this effect using a scientific technique. The researchers collected quantitative study designs sought of music intervention for patients with cancer published from 2002 to 2012.

The results demonstrated that music interventions were significantly effective at improving anxiety (g = –0.422), depression (g = –0.510), pain (g = –0.656), and fatigue (g = –0.422) in patients with cancer. The researchers also found that patients’ age and who selected the music influenced its effect on reducing patients’ anxiety.

Music interventions were more effective in adults than in children or adolescents and when the patients chose the music. These study findings offer important factors to consider when planning a music-intervention program for patients with cancer.