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Environmental Music Therapy (EMT) to Reduce Stress and Anxiety with Patients, Caregivers, and Hospital Staff During the COVID 19 Pandemic

Interview with Michael Zanders

During the COVID 19 pandemic, there was  a heightened sense of anxiety, stress, and emotional dissonance for many those who worked in the hospital environment. The purpose of this research was to study stress and anxiety, and environmental stress theory by testing the effects of Environmental Music Therapy (EMT) versus no music on patients, visitors, caregivers, and hospital and medical staff. The study was a quasi-experimental, pretest and posttest design and participants were not randomized into groups. There were two experimental sessions and two control sessions over four different days (alternating weeks). The experimental sessions included live music with board certified music therapists providing music within the hospital lobby. The two control sessions had no live music but rather, experienced  typical sounds of the hospital lobby. The results show there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups’ stress and anxiety. These data support EMT as an effective intervention to modulate the soundscape of the hospital milieu, thus lessening stress and anxiety for those within the hospital environment. The results have implications for future research, practice, and clinical education and training.

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Can you provide an overview of the article and the topics it explores?

The purpose of this research was to study stress and anxiety and environmental stress theory by testing the effects of Environmental Music Therapy (EMT) during the Covid pandemic with hospital staff.

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What was the impetus for writing this article?

We were actually planning to do clinical work and research within a couple of units at Temple hospital including cardiology.  However, as we were planning our work the pandemic started.  Instead of just disregarding this opportunity we decided we could still be helpful but at least providing Environmental Music Therapy by trained music therapists.  We were even going to do music therapy sessions online- zoom, but that was even becoming too stressful for the doctors, nurses, and patients. We wanted the sessions to be as meaningful and purposeful for health and wellbeing and not just “play” music.

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What future research or areas of exploration would benefit the field and application of what was discussed in this article?

I think there should be more EMT research using a qualitative research paradigm.  I am hoping that we never have to do this study again as it was at the heigh of the pandemic. Also, there are significant implications for education and training of music therapists.  There are valuable uses for using EMT in hospitals, but without proper training in understanding the process.  As we noted the MT process of assessment, treatment, and evaluation is only different with EMT based on its work with an environment and not an individual or group.  Essentially, the client is the environment.  We felt this important as we educate and train students to assess, treat, and evaluate with populations and the ethical considerations of music therapy treatment. 

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How do you think this article impacts the current understanding of music and medicine?

Good question, and I am not really sure. If anything, I hope this research is impactful in illuminating the work that music therapists did in hospitals during the pandemic.  It was heartwarming to see music therapists wanting to help not only patients but doctors and nurses and not running away from it.  We were just a small part of the quality music therapy being done around the world.

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Table of Contents

Editorial

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