Effect of music therapy on the anxiety levels and sleep patterns of abused women in shelters

METHOD: Twenty-eight women residing in two domestic violence shelters in a Midwestern city met with the researcher on five consecutive days for half-hour sessions. The dependent variables included: state anxiety measured by the STAI on the first and last sessions, and levels of fatigue as measured by the Fatigue Scale at waking time. The independent variable was a 20-minute recording of participant-selected music with a Progressive Muscle Relaxation script. RESULTS: Results indicated that music therapy reduced anxiety levels and improved sleep quality for the experimental group.