Active music therapy reduces depressive symptoms and enhances sleep and daily-life autonomy in older adults

Journal

Clinical Gerontologist

Year

2025

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of active music therapy on mood, sleep, and daily functioning in institutionalized older adults without dementia. Eighty-five participants aged 65 and older were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 39; mean age = 73.5 ± 5.1) receiving active music therapy involving singing, rhythmic instruments, and movement, or a control group (n = 46; mean age = 72.8 ± 5.7) engaged in passive music listening. Sessions lasted one hour, three times weekly for ten weeks. Assessments before and after the intervention included the Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Everyday Competence Questionnaire. Compared to controls, participants in the active therapy group showed significant reductions in depressive symptoms and sleep disturbances, alongside improved everyday competence, with medium-to-large effect sizes. Cognitive performance remained stable in both groups. Active music therapy thus emerges as a safe, low-cost, and non-pharmacological intervention that enhances emotional well-being, sleep quality, and autonomy among cognitively preserved institutionalized older adults. These findings highlight music therapy as an engaging and effective strategy to reduce depressive symptoms, improve subjective sleep perception and daytime functioning, and promote independence and resilience in aging populations.

Music and Health Institute Terms

Mental Health; Depression; Psychological Outcomes; Sleep Quality; Executive Functioning; Quality of Life; Elderly; Mood; Music Therapy; Recreative Music Methods; Singing a Song; Playing an Instrument; Receptive Music Methods; Music Listening; Cognitive Abilities; Long-Term Care Facility; Subjective Measures; Observational Measures

Indexed Terms

Aging; mood; psychological well-being; sleep-wake rhythm

Study Type

Quasi-Experimental Study; Quantitative Methods

PubMed ID

Publisher: Routledge _eprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2025.2606708 PMID: 41423713

Document Type

Article

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