ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Work attention in employees with schizophrenia is a significant issue in vocational rehabilitation. Background music is very popular in workplaces, and according to some investigations, can help increase attention at work if utilized appropriately. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the influence of background music tempo on attention performance in employees with chronic schizophrenia. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) study was performed to test the attention of 240 participants with chronic schizophrenia under four conditions, namely no music, fast tempo, slow tempo and white noise. RESULTS: Employees with schizophrenia achieved higher attention scores under background music than in a no-music environment. Additionally, slow-tempo music produced higher attention scores than fast-tempo music. CONCLUSIONS: Observational results indicate that slow-tempo background music is more desirable than fast-tempo background music in a work environment involving schizophrenic individuals.