Effect of Indian Music on Depression Level of Elderly Adults

Purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of music therapy on depressive elderly adults. Study adopted field experimental design on 80 elderly persons whose age was equal to or over 65 years and they were living in institutionalized homes or old age homes. Out of these 80 subjects, 60 elderly adults completed the pre and post sessions. A musical package was computerized includes the ragas, 'om', chirping of birds, sound of flow of a river/stream and waves of a sea etc. which was used as music therapy. Subjects got music therapy for 45 mm. every morning and evening for a period of 30 days. Their depression level was measured on Beck Depressive Inventory (1996) before and after the introduction of music therapy. Outcome: Results indicate that music therapy helps the depressive elderly adults by lowering the depressive degree and promoting the quality of life. It thus confirms the hypotheses.