Clinical effectiveness of mindfulness-based music therapy on improving emotional regulation in blind older women: A randomized controlled trial

Sunny H W Chan; Meryl Y C Cheung; Armstrong T S Chiu; Mimi H T Leung; Michael C C Kuo; Donald Y C Yip; Carole C Y Hui; Sally W I Kam; King Yeung; Doreen S P Mui; Shu-Mei Wang; Calvin C K Yip

doi:10.1016/j.imr.2023.100993

Clinical effectiveness of mindfulness-based music therapy on improving emotional regulation in blind older women: A randomized controlled trial

Integr Med Res. 2023 Dec;12(4):100993. doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2023.100993. Epub 2023 Aug 26.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Health and Social Wellbeing, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom.
² Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
³ The Hong Kong Society for the Blind, Hong Kong.
⁴ School of Medical and Health Sciences, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate clinical effectiveness of a structured eight-week mindfulness-based music therapy (MBMT) program on improving mood regulation in older women with blindness. This investigation compared a MBMT group with a mindfulness intervention (MI) group and a control group.

Methods: Ninety-two older females with blindness from a residential setting in Hong Kong were recruited and randomly allocated to a MBMT (n = 31), MI (n = 30), or control (n = 31) group. Psychological measurements regarding mood regulation and general mood states (namely, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale [DERS], Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS], and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21), were taken at pretest and posttest. Outcome assessors were blinded to group assignment.

Results: Data was analyzed based on intention-to-treat basis. At posttest, DERS scores in the MBMT group (mean differences and 95% confidence interval: 12.1, 5.5 to 18.8) and the MI group (7.2, 0.5 to 13.8) were lower than that in the control group. GDS scores in the MBMT group (2.9, 1.7 to 4.0) and the MI group (1.7, 0.6 to 2.9) were lower than those in the control group. Compared with the MI group, the MBMT group improved emotional awareness sub-scores in DERS (2.1, 0.2 to 4.1) and appeared to lower depression in GDS scores (1.1, -0.0 to 2.3; p = 0.053).

Conclusion: MBMT seems more beneficial than MI alone for improving emotional regulation in older women with blindness. The combination of mindfulness and music can generate a synergetic effect by enhancing both attention and appraisal components within the emotional-regulation process.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05583695.

Keywords: Emotional regulation; Mindfulness; Music therapy; Treatment outcome; Visually impaired persons.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT05583695