The Effect of Music Listening Intervention on Symptom Management and Quality of Life in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder severely impacting physical and psychosocial well-being. Alongside pharmacological treatments, nonpharmacological interventions are increasingly sought. This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a music listening intervention on symptom management and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The study included 88 patients at a university hospital. The intervention group listened to standardized Turkish music (maqams) twice daily for 30 days. Data were collected at baseline, day 15, and day 30 using the EuroQol 5-dimensional Quality of Life Scale and Patient Symptom Thermometer. By day 30, the intervention group demonstrated significantly higher overall quality of life (EuroQol 5-dimensional Index and Visual Analog Scale; P < .05) compared with controls. Significant improvements were also observed in pain intensity, fatigue, physical function, depression (all P < .001), and general health status (P = .004). Therapeutic music listening can be an effective, noninvasive, and cost-efficient holistic nursing intervention. Integrating this sustainable strategy into rheumatoid arthritis care yields rapid, significant clinical improvements in multidimensional symptom management and overall quality of life.