Evaluation of Stress Indicators among Stressful Young Individuals after Relaxing Music Intervention

Stress is a common human experience. Excessive stress causes psychological and social health problems. Music is the combination of harmony of melody and rhythm. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures have been advocated to minimize the development of stress related diseases. Music listening have been associated with decrease of physiological arousal and reduction of cortisol levels. It can affect central and autonomic nervous system as well as endocrine system. This experimental study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Chittagong Medical College, Chattagram, Bangladesh. Total 60 subjects of first year MBBS, with equal number of male and female, studying in Chittagong Medical College, were included by stratified random sampling method according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A questionnaire along with general information about previous diseases, medical and family history were filled up by the subjects. Stress indicators- perceived stress scale (PSS) score, beck anxiety inventory (BAI), oxygen saturation (SpO2) and serum cortisol were recorded before and after 15 minutes of music intervention for 15 days. Result was compiled and compared after data collection by using SPSS-25. Paired ‘t’-tests were done to compare differences between pre and post-intervention values of different outcome parameters. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Stress indicators- perceived stress scale (PSS) score, beck anxiety inventory (BAI) and serum cortisol were significantly reduced and oxygen saturation (SpO2) was significantly increased after 15 days music intervention. This study concludes that regular listening to relaxing music causes significant reduction of stress and improvement of quality of life.