Effect of Music Therapy with Emotional-Approach Coping on Preprocedural Anxiety in Cardiac Catheterization: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hospital procedures can increase anxiety especially directly prior to a procedure. One of these procedures is a cardiac catheterization. Elevated anxiety levels can negatively affect the patients psychologically and physically. In this study the researcher Ghetti wanted to evaluate the use of music therapy specifically in the emotional-approach of coping immediately before the cardiac catheterization would benefit the periprocedural outcome. The study was a randomized control trial with three groups utilizing a pre and post test. One control group that received no pre-procedure intervention, the second group that received the talk-based Emotional-Approach (EAC) coping group prior to procedure, and the third group received the Music Therapy Emotional-Approach Coping intervention (MT/EAC) prior to procedure. The results showed that the MT/EAC had improved positive affective states with the adults waiting for the cardiac catheterization. The EAC group results did not show improved positive affect, but both the MT/EAC and the EAC groups showed a significant overall decrease in the negative effect. The MT/EAC group results trended towards the least amount of anxiolytic during the procedure and shortest procedure length. The EAC group had less analgesic required during the procedure. However, these differences were not significant statistically. In conclusion more research should be completed, but actively engaging in a session prior to a heart catheterization could increase the well-being of adults awaiting the procedure as well as have possible benefits on the procedure.

By: Kylie Rodriguez, MM, MT-BC, NMT Fellow

Ghetti, C. M. “Effect of Music Therapy with Emotional-Approach Coping on Preprocedural Anxiety in Cardiac Catheterization: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of Music Therapy, vol. 50, no. 2, Jan. 2013, pp. 93–122., doi:10.1093/jmt/50.2.93.