Resources & references

This review investigated the effects of music-based interventions (music therapy and music medicine) on pain and anxiety in children and adults undergoing medical procedures. Conclusions: There is a need to clearly define and differentiate between music therapy and music medicine interventions in procedural support research. Further research is necessary to determine which patients would benefit most from music interventions during medical procedures, and which interventions are most beneficial. 

This article describes music therapy services offered at the Adult Psychiatry Department of the Montreal General Hospital.

This paper delineates the design and development of the mindfulness-based music therapy (MBMT) program implemented in a pilot study and includes clients’ narrative journal responses. Conclusions and recommendations, including recommendation for further exploration of the function of music in mindfulness practice are provided.

The intent of this study was to test the efficacy of music therapy in assisting burn patients in managing their pain and anxiety during debridement. Twenty-five patients, 7 years of age and older, were enrolled in the study. There was a significant reduction in the self-reporting of pain in those who received music therapy in contrast to those who did not receive music therapy. Therefore, music therapy is a valuable noninvasive intervention for the treatment of pain after burn injury.

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in burn patients was performed to determine the effect of music during treatments. In summary, a positive correlation was found between treatments including music interventions and pain alleviation, anxiety relief, and heart rate reduction in burn patients. However, additional high-quality studies with carefully considered music interventions for burn patients are still needed.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine published RCT studies investigating the effect of music on pain. Analysis of the 97 included studies revealed that music interventions had statistically significant effects in decreasing pain, emotional distress from pain, anesthetic use, opioid intake, non-opioid intake, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and respiration rate. Conclusion: music interventions may provide an effective complementary approach for the relief of acute, procedural, and cancer/chronic pain in the medical setting.

This study investigated feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a single-session electronic music improvisation with a music therapist to diminish pain intensity and improve pain relief and mood in adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Qualitatively, there were two prominent themes directly related to music: 1) music listening and music therapy offered many positive and few negative effects; and 2) music therapists provided comfort beyond the music. 

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of two music therapy protocols on pain, anxiety, and muscle tension levels during dressing changes in burn patients. Twenty-nine inpatients participated in this prospective, crossover randomized controlled trial. Patients practiced music-based imagery (MBI), a form of music-assisted relaxation with patient-specific mental imagery before and after dressing changes. Also, the patients engaged in music alternate engagement (MAE), which consisted of active participation in music making. Conclusion: music therapy significantly decreases the acute procedural pain, anxiety, and muscle tension levels associated with daily burn care.

This research article studies the effects of music therapy for patients with a terminal illness who are receiving end-of-life care within a family context. It studies the impact that music therapy can have on patients' immune system, quality of life, quality of sleep, and anxiety and depression levels.