Efficacy of music therapy and predictors of sleep disturbance among patients with chronic schizophrenia: A prospective study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Patients with schizophrenia often suffer from sleep disturbance. Music therapy, as a non-invasive intervention, may have benefit on sleep problem in such population. Our study aimed to investigate the efficacy of music therapy on sleep disturbance among patients with schizophrenia.

METHOD

This prospective study recruited participants with schizophrenia along with sleep disturbances in the chronic wards. Patients in the control group received standard care, and those in the intervention group received additional music therapy before sleeping at night for four weeks. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to measure the severity of sleep disturbance. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to analyze measure the difference of change in PSQI scores between both groups at the baseline and four weeks later. It was also applied to find the predictors of treatment efficacy within intervention group.

FINDINGS

A total of 66 (31 in control group and 35 in intervention group) participants were recruited. After adjusting with the demographic variables, the change of PSQI among intervention group was significantly more than the change among control group (Group × time; Estimate = -7.05, p < 0.001), indicating the efficacy of music therapy. In addition, irreligious patients and those with chronic medical disease predicted better efficacy. Whereas, elderly patients had compromising efficacy of music therapy.

CONCLUSION

Music therapy demonstrated its merit on sleep disturbance among patients with schizophrenia. Whereas, healthcare workers should consider the variability of severity in schizophrenia during clinical practice.