Abstract
Introduction: Medical professionals, especially medical students face a lot of stress and anxiety due to various challenges at personal and professional levels. Stress and anxiety affect their health and well-being and causes mental disturbance. Blood pressure, heart rate, and other biochemical parameters show an abnormal rise due to stress and anxiety. Music therapy using Indian classical instrumental music can help relieve this stress and anxiety and bring the biochemical parameters to normal levels. Aim: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the immediate and short term effects of Indian classical instrumental music on stress and anxiety using both qualitative and quantitative measurements on male medical students. Materials and Method: Fifty-six (56) healthy male medical students aged between 17-25 years were selected from Rajkiya Medical College, Jalaun (Uttar Pradesh), for a month-long music therapy which included listening to Indian classical instrumental music every day for thirty minutes. ADSS questionnaire, salivary cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate, and lipid profile other required parameters were recorded twice, once at baseline and another after one month of music therapy. Results: Post music therapy values revealed a significant decrease in ADSS score anxiety (4.36 ±1.39 v/s 3.36 ± 1.20 p<0.0001), depression (3.14 ± 1.70 v/s 2.23 ± 1.50, p<0.0001) Stress (4.54±1.91 v/s 3.39±1.77, p<0.0001) Salivary cortisol (4.04±1.39 v/s 3.33±1.35, p<0.0001). Further, a significant decrease was recorded in systolic blood pressure (122.53 ± 5.24 v/s 120.86 ± 2.50, p 0.0005) diastolic Blood Pressure (82.75 ± 5.36 v/s 80.82±1.74, p=0.0045) and heart rate (73.43±3.09 v/s 71.99±1.15, p<0.0001). Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that listening to Indian classical instrumental music notably reduces salivary cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, blood glucose, and lipid profile, and helps to relieve stress and anxiety in male medical students. However, further studies on a larger population are required to make a general policy to facilitate the better mental health of medical students.
Highlights
Medical professionals, especially medical students face a lot of stress and anxiety due to various challenges at personal and professional levels
The findings of the present study showed that listening to Indian classical instrumental music notably reduces salivary cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, blood glucose, and lipid profile, and helps to relieve stress and anxiety in male medical students
Stress level is higher as compared to students of other profession because of the medical field, and this stress level keep on increasing throughout the course in medical college.[12,13] A number of stressors have been found to affect the well-being of medical students and they often result in psychological morbidities like depression and anxiety.[14]. In a selfexecuted, questionnaire-based study, it was found that 39.1% medical students were distressed, 15.6% were suffering from anxiety, and around 12% were found to be depressed. [15]
Summary
Especially medical students face a lot of stress and anxiety due to various challenges at personal and professional levels. Music therapy using Indian classical instrumental music can help relieve this stress and anxiety and bring the biochemical parameters to normal levels. Stress level is higher as compared to students of other profession because of the medical field, and this stress level keep on increasing throughout the course in medical college.[12,13] A number of stressors have been found to affect the well-being of medical students and they often result in psychological morbidities like depression and anxiety.[14] In a selfexecuted, questionnaire-based study, it was found that 39.1% medical students were distressed, 15.6% were suffering from anxiety, and around 12% were found to be depressed. Music helps in lowering anxiety and elevating mood. It affects various physiological and biochemical factors such as blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate, lipids profile and blood sugar levels. It affects various physiological and biochemical factors such as blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate, lipids profile and blood sugar levels. [16] Indian classical instrumental music has been found to relieve stress in gastroscopy patients. [17] Indian raga improves attention and concentration in college students. [18]
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