Live classical music performances are associated with short-term reductions in self-reported anxiety among unhoused individuals, according to an observational study published in cureus.com. The research explored whether playing violin and viola music in dining areas and cafeterias could yield stress-relief benefits similar to those well-documented in hospital settings.
Live Violin and Viola Performances in Dining Spaces
Researchers administered brief anonymous surveys based on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to 113 participants across two distinct settings. A comparison group of 47 individuals, designated as the Hospital Group, included patients, family members, and healthcare staff surveyed in a hospital cafeteria. An Unhoused Group comprising 66 participants was surveyed in dining areas of facilities that serve individuals experiencing housing insecurity.
During the sessions, a single musician played the violin or viola for 60 minutes. Audience members rated themselves on a 1-to-4 scale across categories including content, worried, tense, calm, and upset before listening to the music and after at least 15 minutes of exposure.
Significant Drops in Worried Feelings Among Unhoused Participants
Statistical analysis using a Student’s t-test revealed that classical music was associated with improved emotional scores in both groups. When comparing change scores, improvements for calm, tense, upset, and content showed no statistically significant differences between the two cohorts. However, ratings for worried feelings decreased significantly more in the Unhoused Group than in the Hospital Group, with a p-value of 0.037. Stratifying the data by gender or duration of housing insecurity revealed no differences in improvement scores.
The study notes that while classical music has a long history of therapeutic use in healthcare to lower heart rates, blood pressure, and pain medication requirements, it is also occasionally deployed as a deterrent in public spaces. Gas stations and train stations sometimes play loud classical music at high volumes to discourage unhoused people from lingering, making the positive findings of this live musical intervention a notable contrast to deterrent strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific survey tool did researchers use to measure anxiety?
Researchers used a shortened five-item survey based on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a validated anxiety questionnaire. Participants rated feelings of being content, worried, tense, calm, and upset on a scale of 1 to 4.
How long did participants listen to the music before completing their post-performance surveys?
Audience members listened to the live violin and viola music for at least 15 minutes during a 60-minute performance before providing their final ratings.
How did the two studied groups compare in their baseline demographics and settings?
The study compared 47 individuals in a hospital cafeteria—comprising patients, family members, and staff—against 66 participants surveyed in dining areas of facilities serving unhoused individuals.
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