Comparing the effects of active or passive music therapy on negative symptoms and cognitive function in patients with chronic schizophrenia

Abstract

Objective: Music therapy (MT) is a non-pharmacological approach that has been used for the treatment of depression, anxiety, emotional distress, and mood disorders. This study aimed to compare the intervention effects of active MT (such as singing, playing, and music composition) and passive MT (such as listening) on negative symptoms and cognitive function in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Methodology: Clinical records of 120 chronic schizophrenia patients who received active/passive MT in the male ward of The Seventh Peoples Hospital of Wenzhou City, China, from April 2024 to February 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. The cohort included 60 cases of active MT and 60 cases of passive MT. The scoring results of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Intrinsic Motivation Inventory for Schizophrenia Research (IMI-SR) were compared between the two groups.

Results: After intervention, the scores of PANSS general subscale, PANSS negative subscale, PANSS total score, and the SANA score in the active MT group were lower than those in the passive MT group (P<0.05). Active MT was associated with significantly higher MoCA and IMI-SR scores compared to the passive MT (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Compared with passive MT, active MT is more effective in improving negative symptoms, cognitive function, and intrinsic motivation in patients with chronic schizophrenia.