The impact of music listening on well-being in older adults: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: The rapid growth of the global aging population makes it more essential to highlight the significance of well-being in later life. Artistic and cultural activities, such as passive music listening, may have a potential impact on psychological well-being, emotional well-being, and social well-being in older people. The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of the evidence regarding the influence of music listening on the well-being of older adults focused primarily on emotional, psychological, and social outcomes. METHODS: A systematic search of Medline (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), and PsycINFO/CINAHL (EBSCO) was undertaken until September 1, 2025, for published studies. Eligible studies were those that investigated older adults aged ≥ 60 years, from the general population, and investigated passive music listening (self-selected by participants or pre-selected and administered) on well-being outcomes. Both quantitative and qualitative designs were included. RESULTS: In total, we identified 1,560 records of which 13 studies met all inclusion criteria. The studies were conducted in diverse geographical regions (Canada, China, Northern Ireland, Sweden, Australia, the United States, Thailand, and Hong Kong) and that the sample sizes ranged from 8 to 1,024 participants. Various study designs were included in this systematic review including randomized controlled trials, quasi-experiments studies, cross-sectional studies, longitudinal cohorts, and qualitative studies. Listening to music was consistently associated with improved mood, improved emotional regulation, and lowered anxiety, especially during the experiences of stress, illness and social isolation. For the additional benefit of reducing feelings of loneliness listening to music within a group or community context may have provided added effects. CONCLUSION: This review provides evidence that listening to music can help with emotional, psychological, and social well-being for older adults. Its diversity across different settings and cultures points to the potential to provide a cost-effective, scalable, and non-pharmacological means to support healthy ageing. Further rigorously designed higher quality studies with standardized outcomes would enhance the causal quality of the evidence base to inform practice better. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD420251138466.