Abstract
Introduction: Postpartum anxiety may be associated with depression, postpartum blues, and maternal mood disorders. This systematic review investigated the effects of music therapy on postpartum anxiety and pain levels. Methods: English databases including Cochrane, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed and Persian databases including Scientific Information Database (SID) and the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) were searched. The data were analyzed in RevMan 5.3 and reported as forest plots. The present study was conducted on postpartum women (i.e., the participants). All randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of music (i.e., the intervention) and placebo or routine care (i.e., the control) on postpartum anxiety and pain (i.e., the outcome) were included in the study. Results: Out of a total of 60 retrieved articles, four eligible articles were selected and entered the meta-analysis process. According to the results, anxiety (MD=-0.68, 95% CI=-1.90 to -0.54, P < 0.001) and pain (MD=-1.85, 95% CI=-3.96 to 0.26, P < 0.001) levels of patients in the music therapy group were reduced more significantly than those in the control group. Conclusion: The results showed that music therapy can significantly reduce both postpartum anxiety and pain scores. However, due to the high heterogeneity of the studies, more randomized trials using a standard tool such as the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement are needed.
Highlights
Postpartum anxiety may be associated with depression, postpartum blues, and maternal mood disorders
Materials and Methods First, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) was searched and no review study was found to investigate the effects of music therapy on postpartum anxiety and pain level
Ebneshahidi and Mohseni investigated the effect of music therapy on anxiety levels in 80 women aged 18-36 years 0.5 hours after delivery and found no significant difference between the intervention and control groups.[16]
Summary
Postpartum anxiety may be associated with depression, postpartum blues, and maternal mood disorders. Music is used as a therapeutic intervention in the advanced human civilization in the 20th century.[13] Listening to beautiful music can enhance labor experience, and due to the effects of this inexpensive, easy and effective method on perceived anxiety and pain levels, it can minimize the dose of relevant painkillers.[12,14] Music has been shown to significantly reduce stress and aid recovery from critical diseases or surgeries.[8,9] Besides its direct effects on emotions, behaviors and neurotransmitter systems, music may affect the steroid-producing endocrine glands and gonads.[15] Considering the significant negative consequences of postpartum anxiety and the beneficial effects of music therapy (i.e. the intervention) on postpartum anxiety and pain (i.e. the outcome), this meta-analysis investigated the effects of music therapy on anxiety and pain levels in postpartum women (i.e. the participants)
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