The influence of music therapy on preoperative anxiety in pediatric oncology patients undergoing invasive procedures

The influence of music therapy (MT) on preoperative anxiety in children affected by leukemia undergoing invasive diagnostic procedures (IP) was evaluated. The participants were assigned to two different types of preoperative preparation for IP: MT intervention or standard care. Preoperative anxiety scores were measured with the Modified Yale Pre‐operative Anxiety Scale. Interviews with medical staff were performed. A lower preoperative anxiety score in the MT group (n = 29) compared with standard care (n = 19) was observed. Results support the potential effectiveness of integrating music therapy with a pharmacological approach to reduce preoperative anxiety in IP. More than 90 % of the medical staff (n = 19) were very satisfied with the ability of MT to distract the patient and support the staff.