Effect of Music Therapy in Reducing Stress and Anxiety among Hospitalized Children in Selected Hospital-A Pilot Study

Background: Hospitalization is a stressful experience for the child and can result in serving increased levels of anxiety and emotional distress. Non-pharmacological interventions such as music therapy have become important for promoting psychological wellbeing and support emotional adjustment in hospitals among children. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of music therapy in the reduction of stress and anxiety in hospitalized children aged 6-12 years. Methods: The research design of a quantitative true experimental pre-test and post-test research design was adopted. The research was carried out in the pediatric department of a selected hospital. A total of 10 children were chosen by means of a simple random sampling method and assigned to experimental and control group. The experimental group received music therapy intervention and the control group received routine care. Stress and anxiety levels were measured before and after the intervention using standardized measures. Data were analyzed with the help of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: In experimental group, a significant reduction in the mean stress scores was observed between the pre-test and post-test and the difference was found to be statistically significant (t = 11.45, p