A Melody for Anxiety Relief in ICU Patients

Abstract

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) can experience varying levels of anxiety. A recent study performed on ICU patients, found that 45% of patients in the ICU will experience anxiety that can be documented (May et al.,2019). These rates are clinically significant as anxiety can result in many symptoms including the feeling of restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and long term effects such as elevated blood pressure and infection (National institute of Mental Health, 2018). Currently, typical treatment for anxiety is focused on pharmacological interventions or medications. However, the use of nonpharmacological interventions, such as music therapy, have begun to be explored further. For the purpose of this brief, anxiety can be defined as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure” (American Psychological Association, 2022). In addition, music therapy is defined as "the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship" (American Music Therapy Association, 2005). The purpose of this Evidence-Based Practice review is to examine the efficacy of music therapy on anxiety levels in ICU patients. The results of this review may lead to an increase in music therapy interventions for patients that experience anxiety during their stay in an intensive care unit. Nurses will then be able to use this information to determine the most effective way to treat patients in the ICU that are experiencing anxiety.