A systematic review on the effectiveness of music listening in reducing depressive symptoms in adults.
BACKGROUND
The use of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of depressive symptoms has its disadvantages, therefore various complementary treatments have been sought and included to reduce depressive symptoms. The use of music as a healing intervention has been well documented throughout history. Even though there are many benefits to the use of music as a potential intervention, little is known about the efficacy of music listening in the mediation of depressive symptoms.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this review was to determine the effectiveness of music listening in reducing depressive symptoms in adults.


METHODS
Types of participants This review included studies on adult men and women (aged 18 years and above) with depression or depressive symptoms.Types of intervention The review focused on studies that investigated music listening as an intervention for depressive symptoms.Types of outcomes The primary outcome measures examined were changes in depressive symptoms as quantified via validated depression scale scores.Types of studies Randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, interrupted time series (ITSs) and controlled before and after designs were included.


METHODS
A literature search ranging from the 1989 to January 2010, was conducted using major electronic databases. A three-stage search strategy was utilized in the process of the search to ensure that all studies that met the inclusion criteria were included.


METHODS
The quality of the included studies was subjected to assessment by two independent reviewers using the critical appraisal checklists for experimental studies from the JBI-MAStARI (Joanna Briggs Institute-Meta Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument).


METHODS
Data were extracted from included papers using the standardized extraction tool from the JBI -MAStARI. Quantitative data were grouped together and combined into a meta-analysis for the assessment of the overall efficacy of an intervention were appropriate. Narrative formats were used when meta-analysis was not appropriate.


CONCLUSIONS
From the overall results, the evidence offers some support that music listening over a period of time helps to reduce depressive symptoms in the adult population.


CONCLUSIONS
IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: There is a need to conduct more studies, which replicate the designs used in the existing studies that met the inclusion criteria, on the level of efficacy of music listening on the reduction of depressive symptoms for a more accurate meta-analysis of the findings and reflect with greater accuracy the significant effects that music has on the level of depressive symptoms.
1. Assistant Professor at Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore National University Hospital (NUH) Centre for Evidence Based Nursing: A collaborating centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute 2. Bachelor of Science (Nursing) Honours Student, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies National University of Singapore, Singapore National University Hospital (NUH) Centre for Evidence Based Nursing: A collaborating centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute 3. Lecturer at Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore National University Hospital (NUH) Centre for Evidence Based Nursing: A collaborating centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute.
Moon Fai
MF
Chan
Zi Yang
ZY
Wong
N V
NV
Thayala