Listen to the Music: Music and mindfulness in the workplace

Parke, Sheryl (2021) Listen to the Music: Music and mindfulness in the workplace. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Background: The prevalence of work-related stress is increasing. Interventions, aiming to reduce work-related stress and improve wellbeing, are being explored. Objective: This thesis portfolio explored the use of music interventions in the workplace and the effect of mindful music listening on stress, wellbeing, cognitive performance, and compassionate leadership.
Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was conducted to explore the effect of workplace music interventions on stress and wellbeing. The review synthesised how music interventions were delivered, by whom, and how stress and wellbeing were measured. Following this, a feasibility and acceptability study was undertaken to investigate the potential for a randomised control trial to explore a mindful music listening intervention on stress, wellbeing, cognitive performance, and compassionate leadership in university staff. Standardised measures of mood, stress, wellbeing, cognitive performance, and compassionate leadership were assessed remotely, pre- and post-intervention for 41 volunteers. Results: A meta-analysis of four studies found no significant effect of music interventions on wellbeing. However, a narrative synthesis of all 16 studies suggested some evidence of effect of music listening on stress and wellbeing. The strongest evidence of effect was music listening on stress. The feasibility and acceptability data from the empirical study showed participants found the intervention enjoyable and beneficial. However, they struggled to engage with the intervention, regularly in the working day. Estimated effect sizes suggest medium effects for mood, compassionate leadership and cognitive performance and large effects for wellbeing.
Conclusions: Overall, these papers suggest that music interventions, including mindful music listening, may have positive effects on stress, mood, cognitive performance, and wellbeing. However, the evidence is heterogenous and drawn from small samples. More good quality research is needed to truly understand the efficacy of workplace music interventions. Further understanding of the elements which lead to effectiveness and engagement with employers would be imperative.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Jackie Webb
Date Deposited:	19 Nov 2021 13:00
Last Modified:	19 Nov 2021 13:00
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/82238
DOI:

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