Effects of Therapeutic Music on Improving Depressive Symptoms Among Long-Term Care Facility Residents

Depression is a common mental disorder that can contribute to both physical and psychological suffering (Skinner, 2014). The prevalence rate of depression is especially high among long-term care facility residents (CounsultGeri, 2018; Lolk & Andersen, 2015). The purpose of this EBP project was to establish a protocol incorporating therapeutic music as an adjunct therapy for managing depressive symptoms among residents of a long-term care facility in the Midwest. Roy adaptation model (Roy, 2009) was utilized as the theoretical framework, and the model for evidence-based practice change (Rosswurm & Larrabee, 2009) guided the project implementation. A total of 13 subjects were recruited from the facility with 11 completing the entire project. A weekly 30-minute session of listen-to-favorite-music activity was offered to subjects for 12 weeks. Music was delivered via CD players in subjects’ rooms with the assistance of nursing or activity staff. The Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF) was administered to subjects at baseline, 8 weeks post-intervention, and 12 weeks post intervention. A repeated-measures ANOVA test was employed to compare GDS-SF scores from three different times, and a significant effect was detected, F(2, 20) = 5.81, p \u3c .05. Follow-up protected paired-samples t tests reveal that 12-week-post-intervention GDS-SF scores decreased significantly compared to baseline, t(10) = 3.16, p = .01, with the average 12-week post-intervention score being 4.27 (SD = 2.97) and the average baseline score being 6.27 (SD = 2.53). Results demonstrate that a weekly 30-minute session of listen-to-favorite-music activity over a period of 12 weeks is effective for reducing depressive symptoms among residents of the long-term care facility. The protocol developed during the EBP project is efficacious and easy to implement, and the practice change should expand to similar facilities. Moreover, patients from various other settings, such as inpatient hospitals and assisted living facilities, may be considered in future EBP projects