The effect of music therapy on anxiety, depression, pain and sleep quality of lung cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PurposeMusic Therapy (MT) is reported to alleviate anxiety and depression in patients with lung cancer, but there is a lack of conclusive studies on the effects of MT. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of MT on anxiety, depression, pain, sleep quality, and quality of life in lung cancer patients. MethodsWe searched seven databases, such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, China VIP, and WanFang from their inception to 31 December 2023. And we searched for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on the effects of MT on anxiety, depression, pain, and quality of life in lung cancer patients. The Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) tool assessed the quality of the included studies, while the GRADE system evaluated the evidence's certainty. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 18.0 software. ResultsOur analysis comprised 16 trials, assessing 1991 patients. When compared to routine treatment, MT can significantly decrease the levels of anxiety (SMD = -1.43, 95% CI = -2.07 to -0.78, P < 0.0001), depression (SMD = -1.49, 95% CI = -1.91 to -1.07, P < 0.00001), pain (SMD = -1.58, 95% CI = -3.08 to -0.08, P < 0.05) and improve sleep quality (MD = -3.02, 95% CI = -4.47 to -1.57, P < 0.0001), quality of life (SMD = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.73 to 2.28, P < 0.05). ConclusionMT can relieve anxiety, depression, pain, promote sleep and life quality in lung cancer patients. Meanwhile, engaging in MT for 30 min, 1 to 2 times per day, over a duration of 2 weeks to 3 months, could potentially alleviate anxiety more effectively.