Ifølge et større studie fra 2020 er der evidens for at musikinterventioner reducerer stress. En analyse af 104 kontrollerede studier med i alt 9617 deltagere viste en signifikant effekt på stressreduktion på både fysiologiske og psykologiske parametre. De største effekter blev fundet på puls, blodtryk og stresshormoner (de Witte et al., 2020).

En meta-analyse af 37 forskningsstudier i kreative terapiformer viste at 81% af studierne havde en signifikant effekt på stress; over halvdelen af studierne undersøgte musikinterventioner (Martin et al., 2018).

Et systematisk review påviste en lille effekt af musiklytning på akut stress hos raske forsøgsdeltagere i laboratorieforsøg (Adiasto et al., 2022).

Følgende enkeltstudier er et eksempel på at der kan forefindes signifikant effekt af musiklytning i forbindelse med laboratorieforsøg (Thoma et al., 2013).

To oversigtsartikler påviste ændringer i stressrelaterede biomarkører efter musikinterventioner/musikterapi (Ishak et al., 2020; Wong et al., 2021).

To oversigtsartikler gennemgik effekten af musikterapimetoden Guided Imagery and Music på bl.a. stress, angst, depression, oplevelse af sammenhæng og trivsel (Jerling & Heyns, 2020; McKinney & Honig, 2017) 

Et dansk randomiseret pilotstudie inkluderede 20 deltagere med arbejdsrelateret stress, og påviste at 6 sessioner med Guided Imagery and Imagery reducerede stresssymptomer. 18 ud af 20 deltagere var ude af sygemelding ved 9 ugers followup (Beck, Hansen & Gold, 2015).

Oversigtsartikel med gennemgang af studier med fokus på arbejdsrelateret stress (Beck, 2013).

I det følgende ses en række studier, der påviser effekt af musikinterventioner på stress og udbrændthed i forbindelse med arbejde og studier.

• Brooks, D., Bradt, J., Eyre, L., Hunt, A., Dileo, C. (2010). Creative approaches for reducing burnout in medical personnel. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 37, 255-263.
• Brandes, V.,Terris, D.D., Fischer, C., Schuessler, M.N., Ottowitz, G., Titscher, G., Fischer, J.E., Thayer, J.F. (2009). Music programs designed to remedy burnout symptoms show significant effects after five weeks. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1169, 422-425.
• DuRousseau, D. R., Mindlin, G., Insler, J., & Levin, I. I. (2011). Operational study to evaluate music-based neurotraining at improving sleep quality, mood and daytime function in a first responder population. Journal of Neurotherapy, 15, 389–398.
• Ferrer, E., Lew, P., Jung, S., Janeke, E., Garcia, M., Peng, C., Poon, G., Rathod, V., Beckwith, S., & Tam, C. (2014). Playing music to relieve stress in a college classroom environment. College Student Journal, 3, 481-494.
• Haake, A. B. (2011). Individual music listening in workplace settings: An exploratory survey of offices in the UK. Musicae Scientiae, 15(1), 107–129.
• Ilie, G., & Rehana, R. (2013). Effects of individual music playing and music listening on acute-stress recovery. Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, 19, 23–46.
• Lee, K. S., Jeoung, H. C., Yim, J. E., & Jeon, M. Y. (2016). Effects of music therapy on the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system in stress-induced university students: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 22(1), 59-65.
• Lesiuk, T. (2005). The effect of music listening on work performance. Psychology of Music, 33, 173.
• Linnemann, A., Ditzen, B., Strahler, J., Doerr, J. M., & Nater, U. (2015). Music listening as a means of stress reduction in daily life. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 60, 82–90.
• Maschi, T., & Bradley, C. (2010). Recreational drumming: A creative arts intervention strategy for social work teaching and practice. J. Baccalaureate Social Work, 15, 53–66.
• Maschi, T., MacMillan, T., & Viola, D. (2013) Group drumming and well-being: A promising strategy for social workers. Arts & Health, 5(2), 142-151.
• Mohammadi, A. Z., Shahabi, T., & Panah, F. M. (2011). An evaluation of the effect of group music therapy on stress, anxiety, and depression levels in nursing home residents. Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, 17, 55–68.
• Perkins, R., Ascenso, S., Atkins, L., Fancourt, D, & Williamon, A. (2016). Making music for mental health: how group drumming mediates recovery. Psychology of Well-Being, 6, 11.
• Story, M., & Beck, B. (2017). Guided Imagery and Music with female military veterans: An intervention development study. Arts in Psychotherapy, 55, 93-102.
• Vaag, J., Saksvik, P. Ø., Theorell, T., Skillingstad, T. & Bjerkeset, O. (2012). Sound of well-being – choir singing as an intervention to improve well-being among employees in two Norwegian country hospitals. Arts & Health, 5(2), 93-102. Se også videoklip under medier på denne side.

De følgende studier illustrerer effekten af musikinterventioner i forhold til forskellige sårbare gruppers trivsel:

• Fedotchev, A. I., Oh, S. J., & Semikin, G. I. (2014). Combination of neurofeedback technique with music therapy for effective correction of stress-induced disorders. Sovremennye Tehnologii v Medicine, 6(3), 60–62.
• Hwang, E., & Oh, S. (2013). A comparison of the effects of music therapy interventions on depression, anxiety, anger, and stress on alcohol-dependent clients: A pilot study. Music and medicine: An interdisciplinary journal, 5(3), 136–144.
• Li, H-Y., Xu, S., Wang, M., Tao, Y-Y., & Song, Lu-P. (2017). Effect of music intervention for hyperarousal in people with different stress-related sleep vulnerability. Chinese Journal of Contemporary Neurology & Neurosurgery, 17(5), 340-345.

• Beck, B.D. (2012). Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) with adults on sick leave suffering from work related stress - a mixed methods experimental study. Ph.d. afhandling, Institut for Kommunikation og Psykologi, Aalborg Universitet.
• Haake, A.B. (2010). Music listening in UK offices: Balancing internal needs and external considerations. Doctoral thesis. Music Department, University of Sheffield, UK.
• Jespersen, K. V. (2018). Music in insomnia. Ph.d.-afhandling, Institut for Klinisk Medicin - Center for Funktionelt Integrativ Neurovidenskab, Aarhus Universitet.
• Schwantes, M. (2011). The effects of music therapy on Mexican migrant farmworkers’ levels of anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Ph.d.-afhandling, Institut for Kommunikation og Psykologi, Aalborg Universitet.
• Skånland, M. (2012). A Technology of Well-being. A qualitative study on the use of MP3-players as a medium for musical self-care. Ph.d. afhandling. Norges musikkhøgskole, Oslo.
• Story, M. K. (2018). Guided Imagery and Music with military women and trauma: A continuum approach to music healing. Ph.d.-afhandling, Institut for Kommunikation og Psykologi, Aalborg Universitet.

• Andréasson, K. (2016).  Musikterapi vid utmattningssyndrom: en intervjustudie om användning av musik och musikterapi vid psykisk ohälsa orsakad av kronisk stress. Kungl. Musikhögskolan, Institutionen för musik, pedagogik och samhälle.
• Falk, M. (2012) Den legende musiker : - Legens betydning i musikterapi for konservatoriestuderende med sceneskræk. Kandidatspeciale, Musikterapi, Institut for Kommunikation og Psykologi, Aalborg Universitet.
• Meier-Nielsen (2022). Den Forsvundne Lyd - Et fænomenologisk studie om forståelsen af to danske musikterapeuters udbrændthed, baseret på to semistrukturerede interviews. Kandidatspeciale, Musikterapi, Institut for Kommunikation og Psykologi, Aalborg Universitet.

• Beck, B. D. (2014). Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) with clients on stress leave. I: Grocke, D. & Moe, T. (Red.), Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) and music imagery methods for individual and group therapy.  Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
• Beck, B. D. (2014). Musikterapi og arbejdsrelateret stress. I L.O. Bonde (Red.) Musikterapi – teori, uddannelse, praksis, forskning. Klim.
• Beck, B. (2017). En neuroaffektiv forståelse af musikterapi med stressramte. I C. Lindvang & B. Beck (red.), Musik, krop og følelser - neuroaffektive perspektiver på musikterapi, s.211-228. Frydenlund Academics.
• Brooks, D. (2013). Professional burnout. I L. Eyre: Guidelines for music therapy practice in mental health. Barcelona publishers. E-bog.
• Dileo, C. & Bradt, J. (2005). Music Therapy-Applications to Stress Management. I Lehrer, Woolfolk, Sinne, (Eds.). Principles and Practices of Stress management, s. 519-544. Guilford Press.
• Holland, P. (1995). The Role of Music Therapy in the Effective Use of Stress. I Wigram, Sapeston & West (Ed.s): The Art and Science of Music Therapy: A Handbook, s. 406-432. Harwood Academic Publishers.
• Jiang, J., Rickson, D., & Jiang, C. (2016). The mechanism of music for reducing psychological stress: Music preference as a mediator. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 48, 62-68.
• Juslin, P. & Sloboda, A. (2010). Handbook of music and emotion: theory, research, applications. Oxford University Press.
• Kim, S. (2013). Music and wellness. I L. Eyre: Guidelines for music therapy practice in mental health. Barcelona publishers. E-bog.
• Linnemann, A., Strahler, & Nater, U. (2017). The effects of music listening on stress in everyday life. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 83, Supplement, 84.
• Macdonald, R., Kreutz, G. & Mitchell, L. (2012). (Eds.) Music, Health, & Wellbeing. Oxford University Press.
• Yehuda, N. (2011). Music and stress. Journal of Adult Development, 18, s. 85–94.

• Beck, B.D. (2010) Behandling af kronisk stress med modificeret Guided Imagery and Music (GIM). Dansk Musikterapi, 7(1), 3-14.
• Omtale af Bolette Becks forskning i musikterapeutisk stressbehandling: Musikterapi bekæmper stress
• Videnskab.dk's omtale af Chanda og Levitins meta-analyse af 400 studier af musiks indflydelse på hjernens kemi: Musik virker mod stress og angst
• Videnskab.dk´s omtale af Kira Vibe Jespersen Cochrane review af 6 studier af musiklytning ved søvnløshed: Svært ved at falde i søvn: Lyt til et stykke musik.
• Schou, K. (2009) Musik til terapeutisk stresshåndtering. Dansk Musikterapi, 6 (1), 18-26
• Engelske Netdoctor om Music and stress.
   

Korsangs indflydelse på arbejdsstress

• Buchhave, S., Jensen, H., Raffnsøe, H. & Beck, B.D. (2014) At lade sig lyde – en undersøgelse af psykofysisk tilstand før og efter korsang. Dansk Musikterapi, 11(1), 15-22.
• Ridder, H. M., Beck, B. D., Engelschmidt, L.E. & Hyldgaard, S. (2009). MusikRGodt. Dansk Musikterapi, 6(2), 16-22.
   

Musiklytning på arbejdspladsen

• En opsummering af psykolog (Phd) Marie Skånlands forskning om brugen af mp3 musik til reduktion af dagligdagens stress: Mest musikk i arbeidstiden
• Anneli Haake om musiklytning på kontoret (i England): How music can help to reduce workplace stress.
   

Reduktion af musikeres sceneskræk og præstationsangst

• Falk, M. (2013) Musikterapeuten blev selv en bedre musiker. Musikken, 1, s.30-31.
• Falk, M. (2013). Musikterapi til konservatoriestuderende med sceneskræk. Dansk Musikterapi, 10(1), 31-35.
• Trondalen. G. (2016). Resource-oriented Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (R-oGIM) as a creative health resource for musicians. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 25(1), 5–31.
• Videnscenter for sang (2018). Sang som middel mod stress.

Håndbøger

• Hanser, S. B. (2016). Integrative health through music therapy - Accompanying the journey from illness to wellness. Pallgrave MCMillan.
• Hanser, S. & Mandel, S. (2010). Manage your stress and pain through music. Berkley Press.

Medier

• Eje, N., & Eje, I. (2019). Musik som medicin mod stress – original musik skabt til behandlingsformål. Månedsskrift for almen praksis.
• Stevns lokalradio: Musik er gavnligt mod stress.
• Nissen, S. K. (n.d.). Musik og stress. Mindmoving music. Blogpost
• The Counseling service på University of Nevada anbefaler musik: Releasing stress through the of music.
• Psychcentral (2021). The power of music to reduce stress.