Music Therapy May Ease Distress for Dementia Patients: Study Finds - Video

A new study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry reveals that music therapy could offer a low-cost and compassionate alternative to psychotropic medications for dementia patients in NHS mental health wards. The research uses a structured music therapy tool known as MELODIC to help reduce patient distress.

Dementia patients in inpatient wards often experience high levels of confusion and emotional agitation, placing immense pressure on care staff. Current treatment methods often rely on psychotropic medications, which can come with side effects. To address this, researchers embedded a music therapist in two NHS dementia wards, delivering clinical music sessions and creating personalised music care plans for patients.

Music therapy sessions included singing, listening to music, and playing instruments, with therapists identifying musical strategies that families and staff could incorporate into daily care. The pilot study showed slight improvements in patients’ quality-of-life scores and reductions in the severity of distress symptoms and disruptiveness. While agitation scores rose slightly, there were no related adverse events or increases in incidents reported on the wards.

“People with dementia on inpatient mental health wards are often experiencing very high levels of distress, and staff are under immense pressure to manage this in ways that are safe and compassionate,” said lead author Naomi Thompson of ARU’s Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research. “Our study yielded promising results and importantly showed that the MELODIC tool can be used effectively in these highly complex settings, giving an alternative option to current ways of managing severe distress, such as psychotropic medication.”

The MELODIC approach was shaped through interviews with 49 healthcare professionals, patients, and family members to understand their experiences managing distress and using music in care. The intervention represents a scalable and affordable model for NHS wards.

Reference: Thompson Naomi , Odell-Miller Helen et al, Music therapy embedded in the life of dementia inpatient care to help prevent and manage distress: a feasibility study to inform a future trial, Frontiers in Psychiatry, Volume 16 – 2025.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1618324

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1618324