Music interventions to reduce stress and anxiety in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Corbijn van Willenswaard K, Lynn F, McNeill J, McQueen K, Dennis CL, Lobel M, Alderdice F
BMC psychiatry · 68 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- University or hospital
- Queen's University Belfast
- University or hospital
- Queen's University
- University or hospital
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast
Based on 3 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2017-07-27 · BMC Psychiatry · vol. 17 · issue 1 · p. 271
- Publisher
- BioMed Central
- Cited
- 142 citations · more than 80% of similar papers · 1.6× the field average
- References
- 44 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Music Therapy and Health · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Keywords
- Anxiety, Blinding, Psychological intervention, Meta-analysis, Pregnancy, Medicine, Strictly standardized mean difference, Randomized controlled trial, Systematic review, Clinical psychology, Physical therapy, MEDLINE, Psychiatry, Internal medicine
- MeSH
- humans, pregnancy complications, treatment outcome, music therapy, stress, psychological, anxiety disorders, pregnancy, female
7 authors
From GB, CA, US
- Kyrsten Corbijn van WillenswaardQueen's University Belfast
- Fiona Ann LynnQueen's University Belfast
- Jenny A. McNeillQueen's University Belfast
- Karen McQueenLakehead University
- Cindy‐Lee DennisUniversity of Toronto
- Marci LobelStony Brook University
Abstract
Background
Stress and anxiety are common in pregnancy and shown to have adverse effects on maternal and infant health outcomes. The aim of this review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of music-based interventions in reducing levels of stress or anxiety among pregnant women.
Methods
Six databases were searched using key terms relating to pregnancy, psychological stress, anxiety and music. Inclusion criteria were randomised controlled or quasi-experimental trials that assessed the effect of music during pregnancy and measured levels of psychological stress or anxiety as a primary or secondary outcome. Two authors independently assessed and extracted data. Quality assessment was performed using The Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias criteria. Meta-analyses were conducted to assess stress and anxiety reduction following a music-based intervention compared to a control group that received routine antenatal care.
Results
Five studies with 1261 women were included. Music interventions significantly reduced levels of maternal anxiety (Standardised Mean Difference (SMD): -0.21; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -0.39, -0.03; p = 0.02). There was no significant effect on general stress (SMD: -0.08; 95% CI -0.25, 0.09; p = 0.35) or pregnancy-specific stress (SMD: -0.02; 95% CI -0.19, 0.15; p = 0.80). The methodological quality of included studies was moderate to weak, all studies having a high or unclear risk of bias in allocation concealment, blinding and selective outcome reporting.
Conclusions
There is evidence that music-based interventions may reduce anxiety in pregnancy; however, the methodological quality of the studies was moderate to weak. Additional research is warranted focusing on rigour of assessment, intensity of interventions delivered and methodological limitations.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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