Effects of background music on mood of older users and staff members at a senior daycare facility in Japan

Background music (BGM), typically played at low volumes in everyday environments, has been shown to influence mood and behavior. However, its effects on listeners’ moods in clinical settings remain underexplored. This study aimed to examine whether a BGM intervention would enhance the mood of older individuals in a senior daycare facility in Japan. Additionally, we investigated whether BGM would improve the mood and work performance of staff members. Fifty older individuals and twenty staff members participated in this study. Following a one-week baseline period without BGM, four BGM playlists were administered, each played for one week, with a one-week interval between playlists. Mood and work performance were assessed using questionnaires developed for this study. Our findings showed no significant changes in the mood of older participants during the BGM interventions compared to baseline. However, the mood of the staff members significantly improved from baseline in both the morning and afternoon. By contrast, no significant effects on staff members’ work performance were observed. Although we did not observe the positive effects of BGM on the mood of older listeners, the results suggest that BGM may enhance the mood of staff members in clinical settings.