Effectiveness of Binaural Beats in Reducing Anxiety in Alcohol Withdrawal Patients: A Single-group Pre-post Interventional Study.

Abstract

Background: Binaural beats are used to reduce anxiety by presenting two sounds with steady intensities at different frequencies to each ear, resulting in a single tone midway between them, with an amplitude equal to the difference between them. We aimed to utilize this to reduce anxiety in alcohol withdrawal patients and assess its effectiveness.

Methods: This study was done among 100 alcohol patients categorized as moderate and severe alcohol withdrawal by Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale-Revised (CIWA-Ar) score. The anxiety levels for both groups were assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Binaural Beats were played in their ears via headphones for 10 minutes, and their anxiety levels were assessed again. The data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test and regression analysis.

Results: Out of the 100 patients, 48 had moderate withdrawal, and 52 had severe withdrawal. Pre- and post-test HAM-A scores in moderate withdrawal showed no statistically significant difference (p = .17), whereas in severe withdrawal there was a significant reduction (p < .001). The patients with severe withdrawal had a reduction in anxiety with intervention when compared to moderate withdrawal. The rate of improvement in the severe and moderate withdrawal groups was 5.76% and 0.27%, respectively. Higher CIWA-Ar scores and pre-intervention HAM-A scores caused greater improvement in HAM-A post-intervention.

Conclusion: Binaural beats technology could be a better add-on to conventional therapy to reduce anxiety, as evidenced by our patients' responses.

Summary: This is the initial research on applying binaural beats in reducing anxiety among alcohol withdrawal patients. It reveals the potential of binaural beats as a new, nonintrusive, and effective strategy in reducing alcohol withdrawal anxiety. It can be implemented in our routine setup to improve patients' understanding of the illness, their drug compliance, and their cooperation with the initiation of therapy sessions like Motivational Enhancement Therapy and could help in minimizing the use and need for anxiolytic medications, thus making the treatment more cost-effective. Thus, it can be integrated as a part of psychiatric care, addiction treatment, and withdrawal management.