Music listening and stress recovery in healthy individuals: A systematic review with meta-analysis of experimental studies

The effect of music on stress recovery

OBJECTIVE

Previous research has suggested beneficial effects of music in reducing stress levels. However, there is no consistent conclusion demonstrating that music can contribute to stress recovery, primarily due to limitations in stress measurement, and inconsistent methodology within existing studies. Our study explores whether relaxing music, especially when self-selected, outperforms non-music acoustic, and silence conditions, fostering both subjective and biological stress recovery.

METHODS

One hundred and five healthy female participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) before being randomly allocated to one of four conditions: condition 1 (n = 25) listened to researcher-selected relaxing music; condition 2 (n = 27) listened to self-selected relaxing music; condition 3 (n = 26) listened to the sound of rippling water; and condition 4 (n = 27) remained in silence. Stress parameters were repeatedly measured nine times before and after the TSST. Saliva samples were collected for cortisol and saliva alpha-amylase (sAA) analysis, Movisens equipment was used to measure heart rate (HR) and skin conductance levels (SCL), and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) were used for subjective stress measurement.

RESULTS

The examination of SCL, and VAS scores revealed no significant changes following the four relaxation interventions. Although sAA displayed a significant main effect of condition, post hoc tests did not pinpoint specific differences. HR recovery patterns varied among the four relaxation interventions, with the sound of rippling water condition exhibiting a later significant decrease compared to the other conditions. Exploratory analyses revealed that cortisol levels continued increase in all conditions during intervention phase except the researcher-selected music condition.

CONCLUSIONS

The subjective and biological stress markers did not exhibit better recovery after the music stimulus, except for a tendency in the researcher-selected music condition to mitigate the continued increase in cortisol levels after the stress test. Our study provides the first evidence comparing the impact of researcher- and participant-selected music with silence and a non-music acoustic stimulus, on both subjective and biological stress recovery. Our findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the impact of music on stress recovery.

The efficacy of iatrosedation and music listening techniques in attenuating dental anxiety in patients undergoing dental crown preparation: A randomized clinical trial

Dental anxiety is a common problem encountered in dental clinics that affects both patients and dentists. Adequate management of dental anxiety is critical for optimal treatment outcomes for the patient. This study aims to assess the efficacy of two anxiety-reduction techniques (iatrosedation and music listening) for dental crown preparation in adult patients. In this clinical trial, 60 patients were randomly assigned to three groups: Group 1, iatrosedation; Group 2, music listening; and Group 3, control. Patients in all three groups underwent dental crown preparation. To measure the anxiety levels of the patients, heart rate was calculated using a pulse oximeter, and verbal rating scale scores were assessed. One-way analysis of variance, post hoc analysis, and Spearman's correlation were used to compare the mean values of the three groups. Significant differences were observed in the heart rate and verbal rating scale scores among individuals in the study groups. A more substantial reduction in anxiety levels was found in patients exposed to iatrosedation (Group 1), which was followed by music listening (Group 2). Recorded heart rate and verbal rating scores were the highest in the control group patients. The iatrosedation technique significantly reduced dental anxiety for patients undergoing dental crown treatment; however, music listening was less effective than iatrosedation. Educating patients regarding the dental care they are about to receive is vital for reducing their anxiety.

Mindful self-care among oncology nurses in China: a latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

Oncology nurses are considered the group with the highest risk for moral distress, compassion fatigue and burnout. Mindful self-care may help oncology nurses improve their well-being and solve psychological problems. However, the investigation and in-depth analysis of mindful self-care among oncology nurses in China is lacking.

OBJECTIVES

To identify heterogeneity groups of oncology nurses on mindful self-care ability and examine the sociodemographic correlation to these profiles.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional descriptive study.

PARTICIPANTS

The study was carried out among oncology nurses in two affiliated comprehensive hospitals and one affiliated oncology hospital. A total of 839 oncology nurses were enrolled in this survey.

METHODS

From January to May 2023, a cross-sectional study was carried out among oncology nurses using convenient sampling. The subjects were given the brief Mindful Self-Care Scale (B-MSCS) and the General Demographic Information Questionnaire. Latent profile analysis using the Mplus 7.4 program was used to separate oncology nurses' mindful self-care into a variety of subgroups. The SPSS 25.0 statistical program was used to analyze the data. One-way ANOVA and the chi-square test were performed to compare the score of B-MSCS in each class and the difference in sociodemographic characteristics among the subgroups. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the influence of the sociodemographic variables on each class.

RESULTS

The total score of the B-MSCS was 76.40 ± 13.19. The support structure dimension had the highest score, with an average mean value of 3.60, and physical care had the lowest score at 2.57. The findings of the latent profile analysis showed that respondents were divided into three classes, moderate mindful self-care(51.2%), low-low mindful relaxation(14.8%), and high-high mindfulness self-awareness(34.0%). Across scale scores and dimensions, three groups demonstrated statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed significant differences between the three profiles in terms of professional title, position, concern about self-care, interest in mindfulness, and experience with meditation (p < 0.05). Profile membership was predicted by 3 factors, namely, self-care status, interest in mindfulness, and experience with meditation.

CONCLUSION

The mindful self-care among oncology nurses can be categorized into three latent profiles: moderate mindful self-care, low-low mindful relaxation, and high-high mindfulness self-awareness. Multinomial logistic regression results indicated that whether oncology nurses concern about self-care, interest in mindfulness and have experience with meditation influenced different latent profiles. Nursing manager should develop targeted intervention based on the typological characteristics of the oncology nurses to improve their mindful self-care ability and mental health.

Mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between digital literacy and cognitive function in older adults

Introduction

Although several studies have examined the individual relationships among digital literacy, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms, few have integrated all three factors into a single model. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating the mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between digital literacy and cognition. In doing so, we hoped to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay among these variables and their implications for mental health and well-being.

Methods

Participants were 7,988 older adults (65 years or older) who participated in the Living Profiles of Older People Survey 2020. The main type of exposure was digital literacy (communication, information, media, and online transaction literacy). The main outcomes were depressive symptoms measured using the Short Geriatric Depression Scale of Korean version and cognitive function measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination score. Multiple linear regression and mediation analyses were also performed.

Results

After adjusting for covariates, our analysis found a significant association between digital literacy and both depressive symptoms and cognitive function (β of four types of digital literacy and depressive symptoms = -0.123, -0.172, -0.702, and - 0.639, respectively; β of four types of digital literacy and cognitive function = 2.102, 2.217, 1.711, and 1.436, respectively). Moreover, our study showed that depressive symptoms play a mediating role in the relationship between media and online transaction literacy and cognitive function (95% CI of indirect effects = 0.0647-0.1212 and 0.0639-0.1277, respectively), implying an indirect pathway (digital literacy, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function).

Discussion

This study sheds light on the relationship between digital literacy, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function in older adults. We found that depressive symptoms mediated the association between specific aspects of digital literacy (online transaction and media literacy) and cognitive function. Our results indicate that community-based digital literacy programs could be effective in reducing depression and preserving or improving cognitive function in older adults.

The sound of stress recovery: an exploratory study of self-selected music listening after stress

BACKGROUND

Empirical support for the notion that music listening is beneficial for stress recovery is inconclusive, potentially due to the methodological diversity with which the effects of music on stress recovery have been investigated. Little is presently known about which recovery activities are chosen by individuals for the purpose of stress recovery, and whether audio feature commonalities exist between different songs that are selected by individuals for the purpose of stress recovery. The current pre-registered study investigated whether audio feature commonalities can be extracted from self-selected songs for the purpose of stress recovery. Furthermore, the present study exploratorily examined the relationship between audio features and participants' desired recovery-related emotions while listening and after listening to self-selected music.

METHODS

Participants (N = 470) completed an online survey in which they described what music they would listen to unwind from a hypothetical stressful event. Data analysis was conducted using a split-sample procedure. A k-medoid cluster analysis was conducted to identify audio feature commonalities between self-selected songs. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between audio features and desired recovery emotions.

RESULTS

Participants valued music listening as a recovery activity to a similar extent as watching TV, sleeping, or talking to a significant other. Cluster analyses revealed that self-selected songs for the purpose of stress recovery can be grouped into two distinct categories. The two categories of songs shared similarities in key, loudness, speechiness, acousticness, instrumentalness, liveness, musical valence, tempo, duration, and time signature, and were distinguished by danceability, energy, and mode. No audio features were significantly associated with participants' desired recovery emotions.

CONCLUSIONS

Although a comprehensive portrait of the relationship between audio features and stress recovery still warrants further research, the present study provides a starting point for future enquiries into the nuanced effects of musical audio features on stress recovery.