Effect of Music Therapy and Distraction Cards on Anxiety among Hospitalized Children with Chronic Diseases

Hospitalization is recognized as a frightening and stressful experience for children. These negative consequences are intensified when children experience a frequent number of hospitalizations. In this regard, various non-pharmacological approaches have been introduced to reduce these negative consequences, one of which is playing and listening to music.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of music therapy and distraction cards on the anxiety of hospitalized children with chronic diseases.

This randomized clinical trial was performed on 83 children with chronic diseases aged 8-12 years who were hospitalized in Akbar Pediatric Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. The participants were assigned to three groups, namely cards, music, and cards + music groups. The intervention which involved listening to favorite music and playing with distraction cards was performed on two consecutive days (duration=20 minutes). Data collection tools included the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale and demographic characteristics questionnaire. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using descriptive and inferential statistics.

In the current study, the mean scores of children’s anxiety in the groups of music, cards, and cards + music after the intervention were reported as 54.8±20.1, 42.7±15.0, and 51.3±15.5, respectively. Moreover, the ANOVA results demonstrated a significant difference in this regard (P=0.038).In addition, the Wilcoxon test results were indicative of a significant difference between the cards (P=0.013) and cards + music (P=0.015) groups regarding the three subscales of anxiety before and after the intervention.

Playing with distraction cards decreased anxiety and fear in children to a greater extent, as compared to music therapy. Therefore, the active distraction method can be a practical approach to reduce anxiety and fear in hospitalized children.