Music for anxiety? Meta-analysis of anxiety reduction in non-clinical samples

Abstract

The beneficial influence of listening to music on anxiety states has often been discussed. However, the empirical evidence and theoretical mechanisms underlying these effects remain controversial. The aim of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effects of music on anxiety in healthy individuals. A comprehensive search in the PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, PubMed and Web of Knowledge databases produced 19 articles complying with the eligibility criteria. The main results of the study reveal an overall decrease in self-reported anxiety (d = −0.30, 95% CI [-0.55,-0.04]); however, the decrease was not significant for psychophysiological signals related to anxiety. Nevertheless, in several cases, listening to music greatly affects blood pressure, cortisol level and heart rate. The great heterogeneity of the studies and the lack of rigorous methodological standards, assessed with CONSORT guidelines, may have biased the results. Thus, listening to music should be cautiously considered as a part of more complex music-based psychological interventions for anxiety regulation. Nonetheless, as discussed in this article, the role of underlying processes (spontaneous memory recollections, mental imagery) must not be neglected. Further research perspectives are discussed.

Effects of an Early Postnatal Music Intervention on Cognitive and Emotional Development in Preterm Children at 12 and 24 Months: Preliminary Findings

“… Koelsch (2014) indicated that music elicited changes in the cerebral regions underlying emotion (limbic and paralimbic areas) in adults, similarly to full-term newborns ( Perani et al, 2010 ). Moreover, music listening had also positive effects on stress and anxiety reduction, suggesting that it improved emotion regulation abilities ( Van Goethem and Sloboda, 2011 ; Linnemann et al, 2015a ; Panteleeva et al, 2018 ). Our preliminary findings are consistent with the literature supporting that music listening has positive effects in emotion processing and regulation.…”

“…Listening to music is a complex cerebral process, as it involves auditory, cognitive, motor, and emotional functions soliciting widespread activation of various neuronal networks ( Koelsch, 2014 ; Sihvonen et al, 2017 ). Studies showed that listening to music had positive effects on stress and anxiety reduction in healthy adults ( Linnemann et al, 2015a ; Panteleeva et al, 2018 ) and newborns ( Rossi et al, 2018 ), as well as for pain-reduction in patients with chronic pain disease ( Linnemann et al, 2015b ) or in postoperative patients who had various types of major surgery ( Hole et al, 2015 ). These studies suggest that music intervention may enhance self-regulatory abilities.…”

Relationship Between Mindfulness, Psychopathological Symptoms, and Academic Performance in University Students

“…A promising research area is therefore the investigation of whether the development of mindfulness skills would predict a decrease in psychopathological symptoms and improved the academic performance in university students. Future studies could also explore whether mindfulness-based interventions adapted to students’ needs and other techniques, such as listening to music (Panteleeva, Ceschi, Glowinski, Courvoisier, & Grandjean, 2018), may be useful for improving well-being and academic success in a university population.…”

Music processing in preterm and full-term newborns: A psychophysiological interaction (PPI) approach in neonatal fMRI

“…Panteleeva et al, 2017). Music listening involves auditory, cognitive, motor, and emotional functions across cortical and subcortical brain regions (Koelsch, 2014).…”