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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
Assessing the Effects of Music Listening on Psychobiological Stress in Daily Life
Published on: February 2, 2017
The Effect of Music During Chemotherapy Treatment on Depression, Anxiety, Stress Levels and Chemotherapy Symptoms: A
1Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Aim:
This study aimed to determine the effect of listening to music during chemotherapy sessions on depression, anxiety, stress, and treatment-related symptoms.
Methods:
A randomised controlled trial was conducted between June and September 2023 with stable, non-metastatic patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy at a university hospital oncology unit. Sixty-three eligible patients were randomised to the intervention or control group, and 49 participants completed the study (intervention n = 24; control n = 25). Both groups received routine care, while the intervention group additionally listened to music during chemotherapy sessions for 4 weeks. Depression, anxiety, stress, and chemotherapy-related symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention using validated measurement tools. The study was reported according to the CONSORT guidelines.
Results:
Participants who listened to music showed significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress, together with improvements in treatment-related symptoms, including pain, fatigue, nausea, sadness, worry, insomnia, appetite loss, well-being, and shortness of breath.
Conclusion:
Listening to music during chemotherapy may improve psychological well-being and alleviate treatment-related symptoms. As a simple, non-invasive, low-cost intervention, music can be incorporated into routine nursing care as a complementary therapeutic approach.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06180629.
