Music Therapy as a Nonpharmacological Intervention for Anxiety in Patients with a Thought Disorder.

Author: Pavlov A1, Kameg K2, Cline TW3, Chiapetta L4, Stark S4, Mitchell AM5
Affiliation:
1 a UPMC, Palliative Care and Psycho-oncology Department , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , USA.
2 b Robert Morris University School of Nursing and Health Sciences , Moon Township , Pennsylvania , USA.
3 c Saint Vincent College Marketing and Statistics Department , Marketing and Statistics , Latrobe , Pennsylvania , USA.
4 d Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC , Nursing Administration Department , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , USA.
5 e University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Health and Community Systems Department , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , USA.
Conference/Journal: Issues Ment Health Nurs.
Date published: 2017 Mar
Other: Volume ID: 38 , Issue ID: 3 , Pages: 285-288 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1080/01612840.2016.1264516. Epub 2017 Feb 21. , Word Count: 98


Music therapy has been identified as a non-pharmacological adjunct therapy to treat anxiety. This QI project aimed to assess the effects of music therapy on anxiety in a sample of patients hospitalized with a thought disorder. Participants were assessed pre- and post-group using a visual analog scale for anxiety. The intervention significantly reduced VAS scores from 3.1 pre-intervention to .897 immediately post-intervention (p = 0.008). This data suggests that music therapy may be beneficial in the short term for this population and is a low risk intervention that provides positive outcomes without the risks associated with medications, seclusion, and restraint.

PMID: 28287863 DOI: 10.1080/01612840.2016.1264516

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