Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2025
Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
Music therapy effect on anxiety reduction among patients with cancer: A meta-analysis
Lu Zang1, Chunliang Cheng2, Yongxin Zhou3
1School of Architecture and Art, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Introduction:
The study aimed to investigate the effect of music therapy on anxiety alleviation among cancer patients.
Methods:
A comprehensive literature research was performed in four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science). Fifteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The risk of bias for the RCTs was evaluated by the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Anxiety levels were extracted to synthesize the combined effect by using meta-analysis. All analyses were performed using R version 4.0.4.
Results:
In total, 15 RCTs met the inclusion criteria involving 1320 cancer patients (662 patients in the experimental group and 658 patients in the controlled group). The majority of interventions were performed with recorded music lasting for 15-60 minutes. Compared with standard care, music intervention had a moderate superiority of anxiety alleviation (SMD: -0.54, 95% CI: [-0.92, -0.16]).
Discussion:
Music intervention could reduce cancer-related anxiety moderately. Nevertheless, the result should be interpreted with caution as high heterogeneity in this pooled study. Well-designed trials with higher quality were still warranted in the future.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
01:22Behavior Therapy
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:18Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
01:25Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy