Effect of Music on Anxiety - A Pre–post Interventional and Comparative Study

Introduction: Systematic use of music has shown positive outcomes in various psychiatric illnesses to reduce anxiety by stimulating the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system and plays an important role in the regulation of emotions and promoting psychological well-being. Materials and Methods: Data were collected for 30 psychiatric patients with Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores >18. Two sessions, 1 week apart, were conducted with a recording of pulse, spo2, blood pressure, galvanic skin resistance (GSR), and bars on the biofeedback machine, pre- and postsession. The first session included deep breathing exercises, while the second session included listening to the music of their choice. Results: Statistically significant results were obtained in both the individual sessions in all biofeedback and hemodynamic parameters. On comparing the two sessions, music therapy showed more effect on the improvement of biofeedback bars ( P = 0.0008) and increase in GSR ( P = 0.0001). Conclusion: Music therapy has shown an effect in reducing anxiety associated with various neurotic illnesses, providing symptomatic relief via self-control. Thus, this study encourages the use of music therapy in association with biofeedback in clinical practice.