Music interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review

There is growing literature supporting the efficacy of music interventions for a range of conditions, including anxiety, stress, and pain. Alongside this, research on neurobiological processes involved in the experience of music has illuminated potential mechanisms for music’s role in mental health treatments. Music has the potential to act on the circuitry of the brain involved in the autonomic dysregulation associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted a systematic review to identify studies examining the effects of music interventions on PTSD symptoms in adults. Five databases were searched which resulted in 2454 articles, with 1478 screened on title and abstract, and 288 screened at full text. 14 studies met inclusion criteria for the review. Study samples ranged from 6 to 330 participants who endorsed PTSD symptoms consequent to various traumas. Most studies were feasibility studies (n = 9), which employed the traditional music therapy format of therapist-led interventions (n = 11). While effective, these require active participation and are resource-intensive. Studies that used passive listening also showed a benefit of the music intervention (n = 5). All but one study reported a decrease in PTSD symptoms (n = 13). Although these findings should be interpreted considering the limitations of the studies (including small sample sizes and lack of rigorous control groups), these results demonstrate the promise of music interventions. Thus, as interest in music medicine grows rapidly amidst the increasing public health burden of PTSD, additional studies of the effect of music on PTSD symptoms are warranted. Studies that employ brief, self-directed, passive-listening music interventions that are delivered in inexpensive, scalable, and flexible formats may be especially promising.