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

Since the start of the pandemic, 43% of Canadians aged 65 and over have reported increased isolation and loneliness, factors that exacerbate stress, anxiety and depression. As music soothes and improves mood, it is proving 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 confirm the deterioration of psychological health and the stress of catching COVID-19 or contaminating loved ones. Benefits of music in alleviating loneliness and stress are reported particularly among seniors who have screened 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 screened 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 for two months, four days a week. Before and after the intervention, cortisol, the stress hormone, will be measured in hair samples; then the perception of stress, anxiety and depression will be measured with questionnaires. Cortisol and the perception of stress, anxiety and depression are expected to be lower 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 enjoyable non-pharmacological musical intervention to reduce the impacts of pandemics on the mental health of older adults.