The role of music in promoting health and wellbeing: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background The higher disease burden and related costs due to an increasing aging population have placed tremendous pressure on the healthcare systems worldwide. Given that music, both listened and actively performed, promotes and maintains good health and wellbeing among the population, we sought to perform a systematic review that would assess its biopsychosocial effects on a population over 40 years of age. Methods A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed articles up to April 2021 was conducted on six electronic databases (i.e. Cochrane, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Scopus). Our study population only included healthy adults of 40 years and older. A total of 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) matched the inclusion criteria and were therefore analyzed. Results Despite the heterogeneity of the methodologies used in the selected studies, our findings suggest that active musical participation can lead to beneficial effects on both cognitive and psychosocial functioning, whereas the positive impact of listening to music seems to be predominantly restricted to the cognitive domain. Conclusions Although our results are consistent with both active and passive music activities favouring health and wellbeing in individuals 40 years old and over, future prospective RCTs, employing more uniformed and sensitive measurements, should allow us to better gauge the role of music participation in healthy aging and longevity, especially in countries with a high population density of elderly people.

The effects of cultural engagement on health and well-being: a systematic review

“…Our criteria for inclusion were as follows: (1) quantitative methodology; (2) randomized controlled trial (RCT), longitudinal and cross-sectional studies with controls; (3) receptive arts engagement in terms of attendance of arts-based events such as museums, art exhibitions and galleries, concerts, the theater, and the cinema ( 15 ) as well as the active production of art ( 16 ); (4) according to the biopsychosocial approach, the consideration of physical, psychological and social variables associated to health and well-being as outcomes; (5) samples of healthy people aged over 40 years. The specific effects of music and/or making music on health were excluded in this study; instead, a separate study was dedicated to examining them ( 5 ). Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were also excluded.…”

“…Therefore, despite significant progress in disease treatment, in recent decades, many researchers have shifted their focus to exploring methods for enhancing and maintaining health and well-being, leveraging cognitive, emotional, and social resources to confront challenges and meet daily requirements effectively. In particular, artistic activities have received significant attention as a potential means to enhance the quality of life, especially among the older population ( 4 , 5 ). This association is now widely recognized ( 6 ), emphasizing the significant role of culture as a determinant of individual psychological well-being ( 7–9 ), psychological flexibility and health ( 10 ).…”

Saúde e Envelhecimento: uma abordagem baseada na integralidade

“…Para tais efeitos, sugere-se que a música atua na saúde humana por meio da modulação de elementos como a dopamina e opiáceos, dessa forma, acendem a percepção de prazer e recompensa, reduzindo o estresse e a ansiedade (Viola et al, 2023).…”