The Role of Music Therapy in Improving College Students' Mental Health and Self-efficacy

Interventional Trial (Randomized Experimental Design)

Study Goal:

This clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured music therapy program in improving mental health (depression, anxiety, stress) and self-efficacy among college students.

Key Questions the Study Aims to Answer:

Does music therapy significantly reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in college students?

Does music therapy significantly enhance self-efficacy in college students?

How do improvements in mental health relate to changes in self-efficacy?

Study Design:

Researchers will compare outcomes between two groups:

Experimental Group: Receives a 2-week daily music therapy intervention (1 hour per session) in a controlled environment.

Control Group: Does not receive any music therapy intervention during the study period.

Participant Activities:

Complete pre- and post-intervention assessments using validated scales:

Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure mental health status.

Self-Efficacy Scale to evaluate confidence in personal capabilities.

Experimental group participants will:

Engage in daily music therapy sessions featuring rhythmically smooth and soothing music selected to promote relaxation.

Experience the intervention in a quiet, controlled environment.

Control group participants will:

Continue their regular routines without any therapeutic intervention.

All participants will submit responses via electronic questionnaires (Wenjuanxing platform) to ensure efficient and accurate data collection.

Duration:

Intervention Period: 2 weeks.

Data Collection: Pre-intervention baseline assessment, immediate post-intervention assessment.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depressive Symptoms; Anxiety Symptoms; Stress Symptoms
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Structured Music Therapy Program

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Hubei
    • Xianning, Hubei, China, 437000
      • Hubei University of Science and Technology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Participants must be current undergraduate students (from freshmen to seniors), primarily aged between 18 and 25 years old (based on the actual age distribution of the sample).
2. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their involvement in the study.
3. Participants' baseline mental health status was not excluded (the study did not set strict clinical diagnostic criteria), but they must be able to cooperate with the intervention and complete questionnaires.

Exclusion Criteria:

1.Participants who are unable to fully participate in the 2-week intervention (such as dropping out midway or taking leave) or who do not complete the pre- and post-intervention questionnaires will be excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control Group; Description: Participants in this group do not receive any music therapy intervention during the study period. They continue their regular academic and daily routines. Intervention Type: No intervention.
Experimental: Music Therapy Intervention Group; Description: Participants in this group receive a daily 1-hour music therapy session for 2 weeks. The intervention involves listening to rhythmically smooth, soothing music in a controlled, quiet environment. Music selection is based on evidence supporting its efficacy in reducing stress and enhancing relaxation. Intervention Type: Behavioral (Music Therapy).	Behavioral: Structured Music Therapy Program; Description: Content: Participants engage in passive music therapy sessions where they listen to pre-selected music with smooth rhythms and harmonies (e.g., classical, ambient, or instrumental tracks). The music is chosen to align with evidence-based criteria for promoting relaxation and emotional regulation. Frequency: Daily (1 session/day). Duration: 1 hour per session, for a total of 14 sessions over 2 weeks. Setting: Conducted in a quiet, controlled environment to minimize external distractions. Goal: To reduce symptoms of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress) and enhance self-efficacy through auditory stimulation and emotional engagement.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scores	The assessment was conducted using the simplified version of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. The full scale consists of 21 items, with each of the three subscales (depression, anxiety and stress) containing 7 items. All items are scored on a 4-point scale ranging from "0" (not applicable) to "3" (always applicable). The scores of each subscale are multiplied by 2 to obtain the score of that subscale. The higher the score, the more likely it is to indicate the presence of such emotions.	2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hubei University of Science and Technology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): October 25, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 25, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 1, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): April 8, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): April 8, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 1, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Depression
• Other Study ID Numbers: 202211001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No