Music Therapy - Evidence Base

This page outlines the existing evidence base around music therapy in the setting of critical illness.

Randomised Controlled Trials

Chlan L. Effectiveness of a music therapy intervention on relaxation and anxiety for patients receiving ventilatory assistance. Heart Lung 1998; 27:169–76.
Wong HL, Lopez-Nahas V, Molassiotis A. Effects of music therapy on anxiety in ventilator-dependent patients. Heart Lung 2001;30:376–87.
Lee OK, Chung YF, Chan MF, Chan WM. Music and its effect on the physiological responses and anxiety levels of patients receiving mechanical ventilation: a pilot study. J Clin Nurs 2005;14:609–20.
Zhong Y, Chen A, Chen M. Effect of music on the physiological responses and anxiety levels of patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Chin J Nurs 2005;40:4.
Han L, Li JP, Sit JW, Chung L, Jiao ZY, Ma WG. Effects of music intervention on physiological stress response and anxiety level of mechanically ventilated patients in China: a randomised controlled trial. J Clin Nurs 2010;19:978–87.

Jonathan Messika et al. Adjuvant therapies in critical care:music therapy. Intensive Care Med 44:1929-1931.
Chalfin DB. 2018. Music therapy in critical illness: entertainment with benefits. Crit Care Med 46: 1554.