Abstract:
Background: Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition that significantly impairs patients’ physiological stability and emotional well-being. Music therapy has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention; however, most studies have focused on passive music listening, the potential benefits of interactive music therapy remain underexplored. This pilot study aimed to investigate whether interactive music therapy could reduce physiological arousal and enhance quality of life in HF inpatients.
Methods: In a single-group pretest-posttest study at a central Taiwan medical center, 38 HF inpatients received a one-time, 30-minute bedside interactive music therapy session comprising Music-Assisted Relaxation, breathing with music, singing, and improvisational instrument playing. Physiological indicators (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation) and responses to the Chinese version of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) were collected pre- and post-intervention. Recorded observations of patients’ verbal, behavioral, facial, and emotional responses at three time points (before, during, after the session) were documented and analyzed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) to quantify word frequencies.
Results: Results showed significant reductions in heart rate (p = 0.043*) and respiratory rate (p = 0.039*), along with improved MLHFQ scores (p < 0.001**). In addition, LIWC showed a noticeable increase in the use of positive emotion-related words during the intervention phase compared to pre-session periods. Word Clouds illustrated a greater number and diversity of interaction-related terms during the singing intervention compared to the other three methods. However, no statistically significant changes were observed in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, or oxygen saturation.
Conclusion: This pilot study suggests that interactive music therapy intervention may produce short-term physiological benefits, quality of life, and elevated emotional responsiveness and involvement in HF inpatients. Future studies may employ controlled trial designs, extend intervention duration, and integrate both quantitative and qualitative approaches to better understand the comprehensive effects of music therapy.
Keywords: heart failure, music therapy, physiological parameters, quality of life, word frequency analysis
Biography:
Hsuan-Huang Huang is a board-certified music therapist specializing in clinical music therapy in medical settings, with a focus on cardiovascular and palliative care. She holds a master's degree in music therapy from Tunghai University and is certified by CBMT (USA), the Taiwan Music Therapy Association, and as a Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT). She previously worked with the cardiovascular team at Taichung Veterans General Hospital for patients with heart failure, and is currently a clinical Music Therapist at National Cheng Kung University Hospital, supporting hospice patients and their families.
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