Music Therapy in End-of-Life Care: Comfort, Connection, and the Human Side of Care

Article Overview

Music therapy has long been used in hospice, palliative care, and other end-of-life settings to support comfort, expression, connection, and quality of life. In this narrative review, researchers examine the biological and clinical effects of music therapy in end-of-life care, with a focus on anxiety, pain, stress, and individualized care planning.

The review explains that music therapy in these settings is more than a pleasant distraction. According to the authors, music can influence emotional processing, physiological stress responses, and pain perception while also supporting a more personalized and humane care experience for terminally ill patients.

Why This Matters

End-of-life care often involves not only physical symptoms, but also fear, sadness, overwhelm, isolation, and the need for meaning and comfort. The review suggests that music therapy in palliative care settings may help reduce anxiety and pain while supporting well-being and emotional and spiritual care.

The authors also point out that music therapy can support caregivers, not just patients, and that personalized approaches such as biographical music therapy may help people express emotions and connect more clearly with their own life stories.

Terzoni, S., De Vita, A., Ferrara, P., et al. (2025). Biological effects of music therapy in end-of-life care: A narrative review. Medicina, 61, 1690.

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Peonies Blown in the Wind, John La Farge, ca. 1880.