Health and care staff across NHS Fife’s inpatient units and older adult community mental health services are celebrating the difference music can make to people living with dementia’s health and wellbeing.

Music therapist Harry Harris first introduced an open music therapy group to an NHS Fife older adult mental health ward in January 2024.

Over the course of a year, he found music therapy activities effectively reduced stress among participants living with advanced dementia.

On days where patients took part in music therapy, nursing notes and staff reported lower levels of agitation, aggression and stress, as well as higher levels of social interaction and engagement.

Harry said:

“There was a trend upward across the year in how much people were engaging with the music therapy and in 71% of weeks we saw a reduction of stress.”

While previous research has revealed playing along to music improves mental health and memory in people with dementia, Harry also studied the impact of music therapy on the use of medications.

Not only was music therapy shown to enhance patient choice and care, Harry also found it contributes to a reduction in the reliance on as-required medications like sedatives and painkillers.

Harry explained this should be just the beginning of research into the benefits of music therapy:

“While here I focused on older adult care in the mental health unit, I’d like to see this replicated in other inpatient wards.

“We could also move to improve this, potentially with group sessions offered at different times or with families and visitors, to provide and support those relational moments.”

He said personalising care plans which include music therapy and acknowledging individual needs and potential distress triggers could enhance the benefits of music therapy for patients.

From the ward to community care

NHS Fife is also host to the first community mental health team trained and accredited by Playlist for Life for its work to harness the power of music in community health and care.

The team helps local people living with dementia create personalised playlists of songs with meaning to them, to foster a sense of safety and comfort.

Community mental health nurse Michelle McCreadie shared how the playlist helped not just the person living with dementia but their carer too:

“After using Playlist for Life techniques to source songs and create a playlist for them, it was observed, that after listening to their personalised music, they were more alert and engaging and for the first-time in a long-time, initiating communication with their partner

“Their playlist is used strategically during his daily care to support them and give them comfort in times of confusion and unrest. This also gives their partner the much-needed respite they need in order to stay together at home.”

Read more: Anonymous spaces improve mental health and recovery; Chief Medic: ‘Critical connections’ priority; Music's potential to help with dementia; Policy needed for patient ‘missingness'; Insight: Links workers' vital role; Edinburgh welcomes outdoor brain health centre; Libraries offer light lift for low winter mood

Sign up to our bulletin for key health & social care updates straight to your inbox.