Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40050810›Full record

ArticleBMC complementary medicine and therapies2025

Evaluating the therapeutic use of music to address anxiety for women undergoing gynaecological and fertility treatments.

Alison E Short, Natasha Andreadis, Geena Cheung, Virginia Stulz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Alison E ShortSoHCA, MARCS & THRI, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia. a.short@westernsydney.edu.au.
Natasha AndreadisNewtown Fertility Centre, Newtown, NSW, Australia.
Geena CheungSchool of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.
Virginia StulzSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.

Funding

Western Sydney University No Grant ID number
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMusic has been effectively used to address anxiety associated with medical treatments across broad applications. However, scant evidence exists about using music to reduce the significant anxiety experienced by women undergoing gynaecological procedures and fertility treatments. Such anxiety relates to the nature of procedures/examinations, invasiveness of the procedures, uncertainty around expectations, and intimate body part exposure, potentially affecting outcomes in triggering sympathetic nervous system responses. Music potentially contributes to anxiety management via known physiological and emotional effects. This funded collaborative project investigates therapeutic uses of music to address anxiety before and during gynaecology and fertility procedures, in order to assist participants with reducing their anxiety.

methodsParticipants attending office, day surgery and other hospital procedures (N = 41) completed validated self-report surveys before and after procedures, listening to specific music via a purpose-designed Music Star. Additional contextual and qualitative data was sought to understand the nature of the experience for the women.

resultsResults of this study indicated that the music intervention appeared to have a significant effect of reducing anxiety for women awaiting gynaecological and fertility procedures (p < .001, r = .82).

conclusionsThe use of music forms an acceptable intervention to decrease anxiety in this context and can enhance the experience of women during treatment. Such an increased use of music can provide anxiety management benefits to women undergoing gynaecological and fertility treatments, with these experiences suggesting potential educational benefits to support women through this extremely stressful and complex stage of their life.

Indexed as

AnxietyGynecologic Surgical ProceduresMusic TherapyAdultFemaleHumansMiddle AgedYoung AdultAnxietyAnxiety managementFertility treatmentGynaecological treatmentMusicMusic therapy

Identifiers

PMID40050810
PMCPMC11883957

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.