Group Music Therapy for Emotional Well-Being and Social Connectedness

NCT07393581 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: GMT2025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial evaluated whether two formats of group music therapy can improve emotional well-being, self-rated health, and social connectedness among undergraduate students living in urban areas in China. A total of 120 students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) active group music therapy, (2) receptive group music therapy, or (3) a waitlist control group. Both music therapy programs were delivered in person over 6 weeks, with one 60-minute session per week facilitated by trained music therapists. The active format emphasized participatory music-making (e.g., singing, rhythmic activities, and group improvisation), while the receptive format focused on guided music listening and reflection. Participants completed self-report questionnaires at baseline and immediately after the 6-week period assessing positive and negative affect, anxiety symptoms, general health, and perceived social connectedness. The study examined whether the two music therapy approaches led to improvements compared with the waitlist control condition.

Conditions

Anxiety; Emotional Well-Being; Social Connectedness

Keywords

group music therapy; active music therapy; receptive music therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 total score)

  Anxiety symptoms assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7). Higher scores indicate greater anxiety severity.

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Positive affect (I-PANAS-SF Positive Affect subscale)

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)

• Negative affect (I-PANAS-SF Negative Affect subscale)

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)

• Self-rated general health (SF-36 General Health subscale)

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)

• Social connectedness (Social Connectedness Scale-Revised)

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)

Study Arms (3)

Active Music Therapy (MT-A)

EXPERIMENTAL

Weekly in-person active group music therapy sessions for 6 weeks (60 minutes per session; groups of 10-15 participants) facilitated by trained music therapists. Sessions included group singing, rhythmic improvisation using body percussion or simple instruments, collaborative musical games, and brief guided group discussion.

Behavioral: Active Group Music Therapy

Receptive Music Therapy (MT-R)

EXPERIMENTAL

Weekly in-person receptive group music therapy sessions for 6 weeks (60 minutes per session; groups of 10-15 participants) facilitated by trained music therapists. Sessions included guided music listening, music-assisted imagery/visualization, reflective writing or moderated discussion, and breathing/relaxation exercises.

Behavioral: Receptive Group Music Therapy

Waitlist Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants received no sessions during the 6-week study period and completed baseline and post-intervention assessments. After study completion, participants were offered the option to attend one group music therapy session.

Interventions

Active Group Music Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Active group music therapy delivered in person once weekly for 6 weeks (60 minutes per session). Activities included group singing, rhythmic call-and-response, body percussion, simple percussion instruments, and collaborative musical games.

Active Music Therapy (MT-A)

Receptive Group Music Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Receptive group music therapy delivered in person once weekly for 6 weeks (60 minutes per session). Activities included guided music listening, music-assisted imagery/visualization, reflective writing or moderated discussion, and breathing/relaxation exercises.

Receptive Music Therapy (MT-R)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 26 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Undergraduate university students aged 18 to 26 years
• Living in an urban area in China
• Able to attend weekly in-person group sessions for 6 weeks
• Provided written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Self-reported severe active clinical diagnosis

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chinese University of Hong Kong: lead
• Yangzhou University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Yangzhou University

Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China

Location

Related Links

• Open Science Framework (OSF) page with study materials and de-identified data for this trial.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2026
• First Posted: February 6, 2026
• Study Start: May 2, 2023
• Primary Completion: June 26, 2023
• Study Completion: June 30, 2023
• Last Updated: February 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: De-identified IPD and supporting information will be available immediately following publication and will remain available indefinitely.
• Access Criteria: De-identified individual participant data and supporting information will be publicly available to anyone via the Open Science Framework (OSF). No application or data use agreement will be required.

Locations

CN (1)