Music lowered anxiety before gynecological surgery; postoperative anxiety results were uncertain
Women with high starting anxiety reported lower anxiety after preoperative music, but postoperative anxiety and pain differences were not statistically significant.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In women awaiting elective gynecological surgery who already had elevated anxiety, music sessions improved anxiety scores before surgery compared with silent headphones. The trial did not find a statistically significant postoperative anxiety benefit or pain difference after accounting for multiple comparisons. The result supports a short-term effect on anxiety in this specific surgical setting.
The study involved women with elevated anxiety undergoing a specific type of surgery. The abstract does not establish whether the anxiety-score difference translated into better surgical recovery.
What researchers found
Between-group difference in median anxiety-score change
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State scale, music versus silent headphones, from the eve of surgery to after intervention on surgery day.
When music was tested
Music was offered before surgery, including a session in the anesthesia preparation room. The main comparison concerned anxiety changes before the operation, making the timing of assessment central to understanding the result.
Other outcomes were mixed
After adjustment for multiple comparisons, blood pressure and heart-rate changes did not differ significantly between groups, and neither did postoperative pain. Satisfaction was higher with music, but that finding does not establish a broader recovery benefit.
The original publication
Effect of music intervention on preoperative anxiety, a randomised clinical study.
Ding B, Yan J, Shan X et al.
Sci Rep · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41034371
- Record checked
AI-assisted research and writing. This explains one selected publication; it is not a complete review of everything known. Our approach.
One more question, understood.
Keep track of the research you’ve explored.