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For many older adults, living with chronic health issues often comes with an unwelcome companion: anxiety. <\/p>\nFor many older adults, living with chronic health issues often comes with an unwelcome companion: anxiety. <\/p>\n
The uncertainty of symptoms and the difficulty coping with them can quietly take a toll. <\/p>\n
Now, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology<\/em> reveals a powerful, drug-free way to ease that anxiety. <\/p>\n To explore whether music therapy could be an equally effective alternative, researchers worked with 300 adults who had experienced anxiety for at least a month and had a history of serious illness, in this case, cancer. <\/p>\n The average participant was 57, and about 75% were women. <\/p>\n Around one-third had been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.<\/p>\n First, the researchers randomly divided participants into two groups:<\/p>\n •\tThe other group worked with board-certified music therapists.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n Both groups participated in seven weekly one-hour sessions conducted over Zoom. <\/p>\n The music therapy sessions involved collaborative songwriting\u2014participants worked with therapists to create original songs by brainstorming themes, writing lyrics, and shaping melodies.<\/p>\n Researchers followed participants for 26 weeks, measuring anxiety levels using a standard anxiety scale at the end of treatment and again at 26 weeks.<\/p>\n Both therapies led to meaningful drops in anxiety. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s what they found:<\/em><\/p>\n 2.\tAt week 26, music therapy participants maintained a 3.31-point reduction; the CBT group showed a 3.0-point drop.<\/p>\n 3.\tThe difference between the two groups wasn\u2019t clinically significant.<\/p>\n 4.\tBoth groups showed similar improvements in depression, fatigue, pain, sleep issues, and overall quality of life.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n Conclusion<\/strong>: Music therapy works just as well as cognitive behavioral therapy for reducing anxiety, and the benefits last at least six months.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t access a board-certified music therapist, try making music at home; humming melodies or setting your thoughts to music can be therapeutic and fun. <\/p>\n Doing it with a friend may help even more, thanks to the added social connection.<\/p>\n This is yet another study that shows you can improve your anxiety significantly using simple methods from home. <\/p>\n\n
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