Music therapy improves overall Health-Related Quality of Life, finds JAMA study

In a new study it was shown that music therapies were linked with clinically relevant increases in health-related quality of life (HRQOL); however, significant individual diversity in intervention results prevented inferences about appropriate music interventions and dosages for various clinical and public health settings. The findings of this study were published in the Journal of American Medical Association.

This study was conducted by J. Matt McCrary and team with the objective to aggregate the findings of research that investigated the effects of music therapies on HRQOL as measured by the 36- and 12-Item Health Survey Short Forms (SF-36 and SF-12).

Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform are some of the databases used (searched July 30, 2021, with no restrictions). Inclusion criteria for this analysis were randomized and single-group trials of music therapies that reported SF-36 data at time points pre and post intervention. Observational studies were not considered. Two writers independently reviewed the studies. Multiple writers retrieved and evaluated data independently using GRADE standards (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations). Meta-analyses using inverse-variance random effects measured changes in SF-36 mental and physical component summary (MCS and PCS) scores from pre intervention to post intervention and compared to common control groups.

The findings of this study were as follow:

779 people from 26 studies were included in the analyses.

Significant improvements in MCS and PCS scores were related with music therapy.

In a subgroup analysis of eight trials, adding music to conventional treatment for a variety of illnesses was linked with substantial improvements in MCS ratings compared to standard treatment alone.

There was no indication of small study or publication bias in any of the analyses; effect sizes did not differ between music intervention types or dosages.

The mean difference in MCS scores exceeded the SF-36 minimal significant difference standards (mean difference 3 or greater).

In conclusion, because of significant individual diversity in music intervention effects, judgments on music usage in specific scenarios were not possible. Future study is required to determine the most effective music treatments and dosages for usage in certain clinical and public health contexts.

Reference:

McCrary JM, Altenmüller E, Kretschmer C, Scholz DS. Association of Music Interventions With Health-Related Quality of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e223236. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3236