The effect of music and desensitization on preoperative anxiety in children

In this study, music was used as part of a comprehensive preoperative teaching session aimed at informing pediatric patients about events pertaining to surgery. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether music therapy can transmit adequate information about the surgical experience to the pediatric patient to help reduce his or her anxiety and fear behaviors during induction of preoperative medication. Subjects were 75 children ages 3 through 8 who were admitted for elective surgery. The experimental design incorporated a three-sample method, with the control group receiving only verbal preoperative instruction the evening before surgery, Experimental 1 group receiving the previously mentioned verbal instruction with added music, and Experimental 2 group receiving this treatment strategy plus music immediately prior to induction of preoperative medication on the morning of surgery. The group receiving music therapy just prior to induction of preoperative medication was consistently rated as indicating less anxiety before and during induction of preoperative medication.