Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Reducing Anxiety in Cancer Patients: Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is a disease that involves extensive emotional, physical and social suffering, which favors the appearance of various morbidities, including anxiety. Complementary therapies, such as music therapy, have been studied as alternatives to an approach to anxiety. Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the literature and determine the effectiveness of music therapy to reduce anxiety of oncologic patients. Method: The research was conducted in six databases including MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane and Web of Science without restriction of date, gender, ethnicity or cancer types. It were included only randomized controlled trials that evaluated anxiety as one of the outcomes, as well as those using music therapy as an intervention, involving a sample with adult individuals diagnosed with cancer. The exclusion criteria were studies where music therapy was not performed by a skilled professional, without control group, studies not fully available, that associated patients with diseases other than cancer and which included in the experimental group another intervention instead of music. Result: A total of 1909 studies were found, of which eight were eligible. The majority of the studies have demonstrated benefits of music therapy for anxiety. Conclusion: Music therapy is effective in reducing the anxiety of people with cancer. However, more studies with new methodologies and further details about the intervention are necessary to confirm the results.