Music Therapy's Impact on University Students' Social and Mental Health

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety, Stress

In brief

In recent years, university education has become more challenging due to increased academic competition. A rising number of university students globally are currently being diagnosed with mental health problems, and previous research suggests that insufficient social support plays a significant role in the development of mental illnesses, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety. Music Therapy has been widely used in emotional regulation, offering a promising solution for people struggling with anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Research on the neural mechanisms underlying music therapy represents rapidly growing field of study. Hyperscanning is one of the useful neuroscience study methods, which is widely-used for study interbrain synchronization, refers to the simultaneous measurement of brain activity in two or more individuals who are interacting with each other. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of music therapy intervention in enhancing mental health and social skills of university students with depressed, anxious, and stress symptoms. This current study will adopt a 2-arm randomized controlled design comparing therapeutic songwriting (experimental condition) with non-therapeutic music listening and discussion (control condition). Upon screening for inclusion criteria, baseline data will be collected; and eligible participants will be randomized into either 4 individual music therapy sessions or non-therapeutic music listening and discussion sessions.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07024979
Run by: The University of Hong Kong
People needed: 20
Starts: 2025-02-10
Expected to finish: 2025-12-31
Last updated by the study team: 2025-09-23

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 35. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

(1) adults who aged between 18-40
(2) without any mental diagnosis
(3) able to speak and read Mandarin, Cantonese, or English
(4) moderate stress or problems in academic activities, problems in interpersonal relationships, or adaptability to college life.
(5) participants DASS-21 score >= "Moderate" severity on each subscale (Depression >= 14; Anxiety >= 10; Stress >= 19).

You may not qualify if…

(1) has more than 10 consecutive years professional music training
(2) with chronic illness and taking medication
(3) with prior history of brain trauma or brain surgery
(4) wearing metal piercings or implants.

Where it is running

2/F., The Hong Kong Jockey Club Building for Interdisciplinary Research — Hong Kong, Hong Kong (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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