A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Music Therapy on Postpartum Anxiety and Pain Levels

Introduction: Postpartum anxiety may be associated with depression, postpartum blues, and maternal mood disorders. This systematic review investigated the effects of music therapy on postpartum anxiety and pain levels.

Methods: English databases including Cochrane, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed and Persian databases including Scientific Information Database (SID) and the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) were searched. The data were analyzed in RevMan 5.3 and reported as forest plots. The present study was conducted on postpartum women (i.e., the participants). All randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of music (i.e., the intervention) and placebo or routine care (i.e., the control) on postpartum anxiety and pain (i.e., the outcome) were included in the study.

Results: Out of a total of 60 retrieved articles, four eligible articles were selected and entered the meta-analysis process. According to the results, anxiety (MD=-0.68, 95% CI=-1.90 to -0.54, P<0.001) and pain (MD=-1.85, 95% CI=-3.96 to 0.26, P<0.001) levels of patients in the music therapy group were reduced more significantly than those in the control group.

Conclusion: The results showed that music therapy can significantly reduce both postpartum anxiety and pain scores. However, due to the high heterogeneity of the studies, more randomized trials using a standard tool such as the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement are needed.