Effect of Live Classical Music in Homeless and Hospital Settings

IntroductionThe therapeutic effects of classical music in reducing stress have been well documented, particularly in healthcare settings.However, classical music has also been used to discourage unhoused individuals from remaining in public spaces.For example, loud classical music is sometimes played at gas stations and train stations to deter unhoused individuals from lingering in these areas.Our study sought to answer the question of whether exposure to live classical music in an unhoused or homeless population would lead to a similar reduction in anxiety levels compared with staff, patients, and patients' families in a hospital setting. MethodsBrief anonymous surveys were based on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a validated anxiety questionnaire.A shortened five-item survey was administered to participants seated in the cafeteria of the hospital and also in dining areas of facilities serving the unhoused.A single musician played the violin/viola for 60 minutes, while audience members were asked to rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 4 in categories including content, worried, tense, calm, and upset before and after listening to at least 15 minutes of classical music. ResultsTwo groups were surveyed, including the Hospital Group (N = 47) as the comparison group and the Unhoused Group (N = 66).A Student's t-test was used for analysis.Classical music was associated with improved feelings in both groups.When comparing change scores between groups, improvements were similar for "calm" (p = 0.092), "tense" (p = 0.678), "upset" (p = 0.183), and "content" (p = 0.123)."Worried" feelings decreased significantly more in the Unhoused Group than in the Hospital Group (p = 0.037).When stratified by gender or duration of housing insecurity, there was no difference in the improvement scores. ConclusionsThis observational study suggests that exposure to live classical music is associated with a self-reported short-term improvement in anxiety levels in the unhoused population.