Effect of music intervention on anxiety in surgical patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Yu Y, Sabran K, Wang G, Chen Z
General hospital psychiatry · 1 citation
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2026-01-13 · Gen Hosp Psychiatry · vol. 99 · pp. 50–65
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Cited
- 1 citation · more than 83% of similar papers · 2.6× the field average
- References
- 60 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Music Therapy and Health · Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders · Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units
- Keywords
- Randomized controlled trial, Anxiety, Perioperative, Intervention (counseling), Music therapy
- MeSH
- humans, music therapy, perioperative care, surgical procedures, operative, anxiety, randomized controlled trials as topic
4 authors
From MY
- Yang YuUniversiti Sains Malaysia
- Kamal Sabran · correspondingUniversiti Sains Malaysia
- Guoqing WangUniversiti Sains Malaysia
- Ziyue ChenUniversiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Background
During the patient's surgery, they tend to experience anxiety a lot which sometimes affect their outcomes in a negative way. Music intervention which is a non-pharmacological intervention is being used increasingly to address perioperative anxiety among patients. However, the existing evidence shows varied quality of studies, intervention timing and patient characteristics. This study aimed to analysis RCT evidence on the effectiveness of music intervention in reducing anxiety among adult surgical patients.
Methods
We searched 5 databases following PRISMA guidelines. The search scope covers the period from database creation to July 2025. Eligible studies included RCTs examining the impact of music as an approach for surgical patients. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. We combined standardized mean differences with a random effects model. The intervention timing, type of anesthesia, gender distribution and average age were studied in subgroup analyses. Sensitivity analyses and publication bias evaluations were done.
Results
A total of 33 RCTs (n = 3793) were included and the data from 8 statistical outliers was removed, leaving 25 studies for the primary meta-analysis. Music intervention significantly reduced perioperative anxiety (SMD = -0.50, 95% CI -0.60 to -0.39, p 2 = 33.3%). There were greater outcomes in those receiving multi-phase interventions, local/regional anesthesia, males, and older patients. Although there were no significant subgroup differences. Sensitivity analysis confirmed robustness of findings and no meaningful publication bias was detected.
Conclusion
Music intervention, as a safe, effective, and easy-to-implement intervention strategy, can help reduce perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing various surgeries in different clinical settings. Including music protocols in standard perioperative care may help enhance patient experience and mental well-being.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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