Music and its effect on the physiological responses and anxiety levels of patients receiving mechanical ventilation: a pilot study

METHOD: Sixty-four subjects were randomly assigned to either 30 minutes of music or a rest period. The subjects were asked to answer the State Trait Anxiety Inventory scale before and after the study period and physiological indices and resting behaviors were recorded before and after the study period in both groups. The subjects’ satisfaction with music was also obtained after music intervention. RESULTS: The findings indicate that patients on mechanical ventilation that listened to a single 30-minute session of music showed greater relaxation as manifested by a decrease in physiological indices and increase in comfortable resting behaviors.