Authors (including presenting author) :
To SP(1), Wong YS(1), Desmond Nguyen (1), Raymond Wong (1), Chan HS(1), Leung SK(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Kwai Chung Hospital
Introduction :
Sound bathing is the practice of mindfully listening by using different frequency and vibrations of sound that help relax the body and mind. By its frequent vibrational resonance, it down-shift owns normal beta state (normal walking) to alpha (relaxed consciousness) and even reach theta (meditative state) and delta (sleep). Many local and international research evidenced that sound bathing could enhance individual's mental wellness, improve sleep hygiene, reduce stress and anxiety.
Objectives :
To enhance mental clarity and focus
To provide deep relaxation
To reduce anxiety and stress
Methodology :
The 45-minute singing bowl and crystal bowl sessions were run by certified singing and crystal bowl facilitators. The target participants were stable in-patients and day patients with mental illness. Before and after sessions, vital signs (respiration, blood pressure and heart rate) would be measured by qualified psychiatric nurse and DASS 21(Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) questionnaire would be measured by self-rating.
Result & Outcome :
The 75 in-patients and day psychiatric patients (M:28, F: 47) were successfully recruited. They completed pre-and post-assessments using the DASS21 questionnaire and vital sign monitoring. During pre-sound bathing, the mean DASS21 score was 21.46 (SD: 16.25), indicating moderate psychological distress whereas post-intervention, the mean score significantly decreased to 14.79 (SD: 14.82), reflecting an improvement in mental health.
Subscale analyses revealed notable reductions in depression (from 6.16 to 4.57), anxiety (from 7.01 to 4.96), and stress (from 8.04 to 5.71). The result was shown that the effectiveness of sound bathing in alleviating these conditions. Also, vital signs, especially heart rate, were shown that mean heart rate was reduced from 81.51 bpm (SD: 12.98) to 77.05 bpm (SD: 11.37), indicating a relaxation response after sound bathing.
