Effects of music on patient anxiety - Research

AORN Journal,  Feb, 2003  by Esther Mok,  Kwai-Yiu Wong

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

One of the problems frequently mentioned by researchers when testing the effects of music is the choice of music. In one study, patients who listened to their choice of music before surgery in addition to receiving preoperative instruction had significantly lower heart rates than did patients in a control group who received only preoperative instruction. Anxiety stemming from basic feelings of insecurity at being in an alien environment can be dispelled with music, which is viewed as a familiar personal and cultural medium. (17) The most beneficial responses for patients, however, are elicited when the music is familiar, desirable, and meaningful to them. Patients' familiarity with the music selections may be important for producing optimal relaxation.

METHODS

This study was designed as an experimental quantitative study comparing anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate in two groups of patients before and after routine preoperative instruction (ie, the control group) and routine preoperative instruction coupled with listening to music (ie, the experimental group). The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of music on patients' anxiety levels during minor surgery with local anesthesia. More specifically, the objectives were to

* determine whether music has an effect on lowering patients' subjective level of anxiety when undergoing minor surgery with local anesthesia,

* determine whether music has an effect on lowering patients' blood pressure and heart rate when undergoing minor surgery with local anesthesia, and

* explore the patients' perceptions of music during their surgical procedures.

In this study, it was hypothesized that patients who listened to their choice of music during minor surgery would have significantly lower anxiety levels than patients who did not listen to music. In addition, it was hypothesized that patients who listened to their choice of music during minor surgery would have significantly lower blood pressure and heart rate levels than patients who did not listen to music.

Conceptual framework. Anxiety is defined as a vague feeling of uneasiness or apprehension that is directly related to fear surrounding an unfamiliar environment. (18) There are several ways music can affect patients' anxiety. First, music is seen as a stimulus for active focus or distraction. Music provides a familiar auditory environment and may distract a patient's attention from surgery. (19) Second, music acts as a cue for relaxation response. As relaxation occurs, the patient experiences reduced muscle tension, along with deeper and more even respiration, which reduces anxiety and fear. Third, music can become a masking agent. Music played through headphones can mask some of the unpleasant sounds during surgery and avert some of the anxiety caused by outside agents.

Operational definitions. A choice of three types of music (eg, classical music, popular contemporary music, Chinese music) was provided. The classical music category included classics of western music (eg, concertos, sonatas) mainly composed by European composers. The period begins roughly in 1600 through the early twentieth century, and examples of the classical music provided in the study are "Spring Song," "Serenade," and "Sleeping Lagoon." An example of the songs included in the contemporary group is "The Heart Will Go On" from the movie Titanic. The Chinese music group included popular songs composed in Hong Kong or China (eg, "Night Plane"). These songs have a slow or moderate rhythm, and most people in Hong Kong are familiar with them.