Active Music Engagement with Emotional-Approach Coping to Improve Well-being in Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipients

Liver and kidney transplant recipients report elevated psychological distress following transplant in comparison to other types of organ transplant recipients. Negative affective states can lead to immune dysregulation and adverse health behaviors, and therefore may contribute to disease. In contrast, positive affective states can broaden individuals' thoughts and actions to promote the accumulation of coping resources. Coping strategies have traditionally been conceived of as being either problem-focused or emotion-focused in nature, while contemporary theory and research supports a different division: approach-oriented strategies versus avoidance-oriented strategies. Emotional expression and processing may function as an approach-oriented coping strategy. Emotional-approach coping relates to the use of emotional expression, awareness and understanding to facilitate coping with significant life stressors. The current study evaluated the impact of music therapy with and without a specific emphasis on emotional-approach coping. This randomized, controlled trial aimed to use Active Music Engagement with Emotional-Approach Coping to improve well-being in post-operative liver and kidney transplant recipients (N = 29). Results indicated that music therapy using Emotional-Approach Coping led to significant increases in positive affect, music therapy using Active Music Engagement led to significant decreases in pain, and both conditions led to significant decreases in negative affect, an indicator of perceived stress/anxiety.