The effects of listening to sedative music on depression in Chinese people aged 60 years or older: a randomised control trial

Abstract

BackgroundDepression is one of the most common complaints in people aged 60 years or older. Pharmacological treatments can cause adverse effects and increase medical costs. A safe treatment for depression in these people is needed. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of listening to sedative music on depression in people aged 60 years or older in China. MethodsWe recruited people aged 60 years or older from four communities in Xi'an, China. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups (music or control) by computer-generated randomisation. All participants received brief health education. Each participant in the music group also received an MP3 player and was instructed to listen to music for 45 minutes per day for three months. Depression, the primary outcome of the study, was measured by the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) at baseline, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months. A research assistant who was unaware of the group allocation collected the data. Generalised estimation equation model was used for data analysis. This study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Xian Jiaotong University. The trial was not registered. FindingsWe recruited 68 participants (mean age 68·38 [SD 5·46]) whose baseline GDS scores were 2·24 (2·12) in the music group and 2·76 (3·08) in the control group. No adverse events or complaints were reported. The depression score in both groups consistently improved over time: GDS scores were 0·72 (1·02) in the music group and 1·00 (1·90) in the control group after 3 months. The generalized estimation equation model revealed significant time effects at 2 months (β=–2·108, p<0·001) and 3 months (β=–1·765, p=0·001). However, no significant interaction effects were noted (p>0·05). InterpretationAlthough the music group demonstrated continuous improvements, listening to music did not improve depression in Chinese old people in 3 months. Future studies could explore the effects of longer music interventions on depression in a larger sample. FundingNone.