Effects of a personalized music intervention on mental health impacts of COVID-19 in older adults

Google translate: Since the start of the pandemic, 43% of Canadians aged 65 and older have reported increased isolation and loneliness, factors that exacerbate stress, anxiety and depression. As music soothes and improves mood, it proves to be an effective intervention to reduce these impacts. This project seeks to establish a portrait of the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of seniors in Canada and the psychological effects of listening to music. Preliminary data from an online survey confirms the deterioration of psychological health and the stress of catching COVID-19 or infecting loved ones. Benefits of music in alleviating loneliness and stress are reported particularly in older adults who have tested positive for anxiety or depression. This suggests that listening to music is an effective tool to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on the mental health of seniors. This project will also test the effectiveness of a personalized musical intervention on the mental health of isolated seniors who have tested positive for anxiety or depression. Half of them will listen to personalized music (music group) and the other half to audio books (comparison group). These two interventions will take place over two months, four days a week. Before and after the procedure, cortisol, the stress hormone, will be measured in hair samples; then the perception of stress, anxiety and depression will be measured with questionnaires. Lower cortisol and perceived stress, anxiety, and depression were predicted in the music group than in the comparison group. This project will help to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of older adults. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of an accessible and pleasant non-pharmacological musical intervention to reduce the impact of pandemics on the mental health of seniors.]