To determine the effects of music therapy on pain, discomfort, and depression for patients with leg fractures.

Data were collected from 40 patients admitted in an orthopedic surgery care unit. The subjects included 20 intervention group members and 20 control group members. Music therapy was offered to intervention group members once a day for 3 days for 30-60 minutes per day. Pain was measured with a numeric rating scale and by measuring vital signs. Discomfort and depression were measured with self-administered questionnaires.

Patients who received music therapy had a lower degree of pain than patients who did not receive music therapy as measured by the numeric pain score (p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (p<0.01), diastolic blood pressure (p<0.001), pulse rate (p<0.001) and respiration (p<0.001). Patients who were provided with music therapy also had a lower degree of discomfort than patients who were not provided with this therapy (p<0.01).

These results demonstrate that music therapy is an effective method for decreasing pain and dis-comfort for patients with leg fractures.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music therpy on anxiety and depression in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

The study was designed using a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects consisted of 36 patients (Experimental group: 18, Control group: 18) who received hemodialysis in three hospitals located in Seoul. The measures were a Music Preference Questionnaire (MPQ), anxiety measurement, and depression measurement. Data was collected from December 26, 2004 to April 2, 2005 through questionnaires. The collected data was analyzed by the SPSS 10.0 program.

The first hypothesis that patients undergoing hemodialysis who received music therapy would have less anxiety than patients undergoing hemodialysis who did not receive music therapy was supported (F=8.05, p=.008). The second hypothesis that patient undergoing hemodialysis who received music therapy would have less depression than patients undergoing hemodialysis who did not receive music therapy was supported(F=11.86, p=.002).

The results of this study suggest that music therapy may be applied as a method of nursing intervention contributing to the improvement of quality life by reducing their anxiety and depression of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relaxing music was effective in reducing stress response of patients admitted to a coronary care unit with the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

The research design was the chosen convenience sample of a randomized control group pre-posttest quasi- experimental design. Forty patients, 20 for an experimental group and another 20 for control group. The study was to provide the patients three different kinds of relaxing music. The experimental group listened to relaxing music for a 20-minute one time a day for 3days. The control group was just provided with a 20-minute period of rest. Test for hypothesis was done by repeated measured ANOVA.

The experimental group which received relaxing music showed a significantly lower level of electrodermal response, myocardial oxygen consumption and respiration rate, and a higher level of peripheral skin temperature than the control group. The experimental group which received relaxing music showed a significant reduction in state anxiety than the control group.

The results showed that relaxing music is an effective nursing intervention for reducing physiologic and psychologic stress response of the patients with acute myocardial infarction in a critical intensive care unit.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music therapy on postpartum blues and maternal attachment of puerperal women.

The research design was a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. The participants were puerperal women who agreed to participate in this study and through a convenience sampling, 60 puerperal women were recruited (30 in the experimental group, 30 in the control group). After measuring postpartum blues and maternal attachment, music therapy was provided to the experimental group over 40 min, once a day, and for 8 days. Then, postpartum blues and maternal attachment for the experimental and control group were measured again on the 8th day. The data were analyzed using the SPSS WIN 12.0 Program.

The first hypothesis that "the degree of postpartum blues for the experimental group who participated in music therapy would be lower than that of the control group" was accepted (t=4.350, p<.001). The second hypothesis that "the degree of maternal attachment of the experimental group who participated in music therapy would be higher than that of the control group" was accepted (t=4.828, p<.001).

These findings indicate that music therapy has positive influences on decreasing postpartum blues and increasing maternal attachment of puerperal women.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music therapy and rhythmic exercise on health related quality of life, blood pressure and upper extremity muscle strength in the institution-dwelling elderly women.

The study was designed using a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants consisted of 35 elders (18 in the experimental group and 17 in the control group). The music therapy and rhythmic exercise were developed by the investigators. The experimental group took part in this program twice a week for 8 weeks. The Short Form 36 health survey questionnaire, blood pressure and grasp power scale were used as instruments. The data were analyzed using SPSS 14.0.

Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that music therapy and rhythmic exercise had positive effects on quality of life, especially on vitality, general health and mental health. Also, there were statistically significant differences in diastolic blood pressure and upper extremity muscle strength between the pretest and posttest in the experimental group.

The study suggests that this program can be applied for older women in long-term facilities to improve quality of life, blood pressure and upper extremity muscle strength.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music therapy on state anxiety and pain among patients undergoing burn dressing changes.

A convenience sample of 32 adult burn patients who were eligible and provided consent were included in the study which was a quasi-experimental study of a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Fifteen patients in the control group received the routine burn dressing changes but 17 patients in the experimental group listened to self-selected music through headphones connected to a CD player during burn dressing changes for three days. All subjects of the music group chose the type of music that would relax them. Before and after burn dressing changes, subjects completed the State Anxiety Inventory and self-report of pain scores.

There was a significant reduction in state anxiety before and after burn dressing changes in those who received music therapy in contrast to those who did not receive music therapy. The music group reported lower pain scores before and after burn dressing changes than did the non-music group.

These findings indicate that music therapy composed of self-selected music is a valuable intervention for the treatment of pain and anxiety in patients undergoing burn dressing changes.