To explore the research dynamics of music intervention in the psychological adjustment of families of critically ill patients,to reveal the research hotspots,knowledge structure,and evolutionary trends in this field,and to provide theoretical basis and practical reference for clinical psychological care.

Relevant literature was retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform,VIP Chinese Journal Service Platform,PubMed, and Web of Science(WOS).The retrieval time spanned from January 10,2005,to June 9,2025.Bibliometric methods were used to analyze annual publication volume,productive authors,and institutions. Research topic evolution was analyzed through keyword co-occurrence analysis,cluster analysis,and burst analysis.

A total of 162 Chinese articles were included,showing a fluctuating growth trend in annual publication volume.A total of 1 193 English articles were included,showing a significant growth trend.Regarding authors,Chinese publications formed two major clusters,while core English authors did not form a collaborative network.In terms of publishing institutions,the department with the highest number of Chinese publications was the department of neurology at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University,while English publications were concentrated among eight major international institutions.Chinese literature research hotspots focused on 10 cluster modules,namely music therapy,family members,intervention measures,nursing care,impact,psychological nursing,music intervention,end-of-life,childbirth outcomes,and comprehensive nursing intervention.Burst keyword analysis indicated a thematic shift from "nursing care" to "music therapy".

Music therapy is gaining increasing attention in the field of psychological adjustment for families of critically ill patients.Research scale in both Chinese and English literature continues to expand,but development is uneven. Interdisciplinary integration and the development of localized evidence-based protocols may become future research directions.