Rosetta Stone

June 9, 2020

Acoustics + Mental Health

Talking Points • Research Brief • Collection Database


Acoustics - Mental Health Research Brief

Mental health and acoustics share the quality of invisibility, and therefore both go largely understudied. Acoustics are often conflated with “noise”, “sound”, or “music” in studies of mental health, but they should all be considered as elements of “soundscapes”, ecosystems engaging the auditory sense. When this perspective is held,  it is easier to conceptualize acoustics’ role in an environment of healing.

Overview

I. Improved Mental Health in Patients

Sound, such as music or nature sounds, played into the hospital space can elicit positive emotions, enhance social connection, the perception of individual choice. Although music can be disruptive to some and be considered “noise”, it is helpful in treating depression, reaching autistic children, as well as calming and relaxing agitated psychiatric patients (Iyendo 2016, 93).

Studies by Chafin, Hirokawa, Nilsson and their teams found if sounds, whether they be white noise, music, or nature sounds, are intelligible, controllable, and make sense in the overall ecosystem of the hospital, they can yield greater reductions in stress, blood pressure, and post-operative trauma compared to silence alone (Brown 2014, 1522).

A Dutch team conducted a survey on three psychiatric wards in the Netherlands using two fundamental interventions involving “stimulus control” and “music-assisted relaxation”, strongly recommended “music-assisted relaxation” to mental health nurses for the enhancement of sleep quality for psychiatric inpatients. A systematic review and meta-analysis have demonstrated that music is effective for the management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia patients (Iyendo 2016).

II. Worsened Mental Health in Patients

Researchers have long noticed a relationship between sleep  disturbance  and  schizophrenia,  such that patients with more disturbed sleep are likely to suffer more severe symptoms and be  less medication compliant. Insomnia is often present during both the acute and chronic phases of schizophrenia. Importantly, insomnia is a common prodromal symptom heralding the development of an acute episode of schizophrenia. By limiting noise transmission through treatment spaces, sleep disturbance and schizophrenic episodes could be minimized (Iyendo 2016).

III. Conflicted Mental Health

Finishes have acoustic characteristics that can further shape experience. While certain finishes contribute positively to an acoustic experience for some, others can trigger intense feelings of discomfort or trauma. Johannes Girardoni on Olson Kundig’s design of The Infinite Room: “The finished lime plaster absorbs moisture just like adobe. It is breathing skin against which sounds reverberate eerily…people seated inside seem to get a heightened awareness of being alive because of the changing light and the acoustics…some guests slip inside to chant or meditate. Others cry when they can hear echoes of their own breath behind them, and still others beg to leave” (Sardar 2017).

IV. References

Review Articles
  • Brown, Brian, Peter Rutherford, and Paul Crawford. “The role of noise in clinical environments with particular reference to mental health care: A narrative review.” International journal of nursing studies 52, no. 9 (2015): 1514- 1524.
  • Iyendo, Timothy Onosahwo. “Exploring the effect of sound and music on health in hospital settings: A narrative review.” International journal of nursing studies 63 (2016): 82-100.
Primary Research
  • Daykin, Norma, Ellie Byrne, Tony Soteriou, and Susan O’Connor. “The impact of art, design and environment in mental healthcare: a systematic review of the literature.” Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health 128, no. 2 (2008): 85-94.
  • Tiesler, Gerhart, Rainer Machner, and Holger Brokmann. “Classroom Acoustics and Impact on Health and Social Behaviour.” Energy Procedia 78 (2015): 3108-3113.
  • Watts, Greg, Amir Khan, and Rob Pheasant. “Influence of soundscape and interior design on anxiety and perceived tranquillity of patients in a healthcare setting.” Applied Acoustics 104 (2016): 135-141.
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