Effects of Music Therapy on Anxiety Symptoms in Patients With Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of music therapy on anxiety symptoms in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV). PMV patients, defined as those ventilated for more than 21 days, often experience intense psychological stress and anxiety due to long-term intubation and the ICU environment. High anxiety can lead to "patient-ventilator asynchrony," which delays the weaning process. In this study, 200 participants will be randomly assigned to either a control group receiving standard care or an experimental group receiving patient-directed music therapy. The music therapy intervention involves listening to selected music through noise-canceling headphones for 30 minutes, twice daily, over a 14-day period. The study will measure improvements in anxiety levels, pain, and sleep quality to determine if music therapy can help break the cycle of anxiety and facilitate recovery.