The Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Alleviating Academic Anxiety

and Depression Among College Students

Shangxu Wang

Department of Psychology, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273100, China

Keywords: Music Therapy, Academic Anxiety, Depression.

Abstract: This study aims to explore the effectiveness of various music therapy methods in alleviating academic anxiety

and depression among college students by conducting a comprehensive review and analysis of relevant

literature. The results indicate that music therapy, as a psychological intervention, has shown significant

effects in reducing academic anxiety and depression among college students. The music therapy not only

effectively lowers anxiety levels and alleviates depressive symptoms but also enhances students' self-

confidence, promoting their healthy and happy growth. Additionally, the study highlights future research

directions and challenges. Although music therapy has achieved significant results in alleviating academic

anxiety and depression among college students, further investigation is needed into its long-term effects and

mechanisms, as well as its combination with other psychological intervention methods. Moreover, the

personalized design and optimization of music therapy for college students with different cultural

backgrounds, personality types, and levels of academic pressure deserve in-depth research.

1 INTRODUCTION

In today's fast-paced society, college students face

multiple pressures from academics, employment, and

social interactions, leading to increasing mental

health issues. In recent years, with the expansion of

higher education, the number of college students has

rapidly increased, intensifying academic pressure and

job competition, which has led to a rising incidence

of depression among college students. Research

indicates that approximately 21.48% of college

students may be at risk of depression, and 45.28%

may be at risk of anxiety (Institute of Psychology,

2022). This situation has raised significant concern

across society, urgently necessitating effective mental

health intervention measures.

Music therapy, as an emerging psychological

treatment method, is gradually gaining attention due

to its unique advantages and broad application

prospects. Music therapy is not merely about listening

to music; it is a purposeful, planned, and organized

intervention process that uses various forms such as

musical experiences, music creation, and music

performance to promote integration in physical,

emotional, cognitive, and social aspects. In recent

years, the application of music therapy in the mental

health of college students has gradually increased,

yielding significant research outcomes.

This study aims to investigate the role of music

therapy in alleviating academic anxiety and

depression among college students, hoping to provide

new ideas and references for mental health education

in colleges. Firstly, this paper will outline the current

state and causes of academic anxiety and depression

among college students. Then, it will detail the

principles and methods of music therapy and, based

on this, focus on analyzing the specific applications

and effects of music therapy in alleviating academic

anxiety and depression among college students,

exploring its possible mechanisms and pathways.

Through this study, the author hope to reveal the

potential and value of music therapy in the mental

health field of college students, providing scientific

and effective mental health intervention methods for

mental health educators in colleges. At the same time,

the author hope that this study can raise societal

awareness of mental health issues among college

students, working together to safeguard their mental

health and promote their healthy and all-around

development.

460

Wang, S.

The Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Alleviating Academic Anxiety and Depression Among College Students.

DOI: 10.5220/0014136300004942

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management (APMM 2025), pages 460-466

ISBN: 978-989-758-791-7

2 INTRODUCTION TO KEY

CONCEPTS

2.1 Music Therapy

Music therapy is a treatment method that uses music

to promote physical, mental health, and social skills

(Institute of Psychology, 2022). It can stimulate

patients' senses through music, effectively alleviating

negative emotions, improving anxiety and sleep

conditions, and benefiting overall well-being.

Music therapy can be categorized into receptive

music therapy, re-creative music therapy, and

improvisational music therapy: Receptive music

therapy primarily aims at therapeutic goals through

listening to music. This form focuses on sensory

experiences of music, using elements like melody,

rhythm, and harmony to emotionally touch and

soothe individuals. Re-creative music therapy

emphasizes active patient participation in music

creation and performance, with therapists guiding

patients to use instruments or sounds to express

emotions, improve cognitive and physical functions.

Improvisational music therapy stresses achieving

therapeutic effects through spontaneous playing

without a predetermined plan. This approach

encourages patients to express inner feelings through

free-flowing music, leading to self-insight and

emotional release.

2.2 Academic Anxiety

Academic anxiety is a psychological response

tendency characterized by worry about related

situations, typically arising in learning contexts. This

anxiety may be based on real-life concerns or

imagined ones. Common manifestations include

uncertainty about one's learning abilities and future

prospects, especially when self-esteem is threatened.

Research indicates that moderate academic

anxiety can motivate learning and enhance efficiency,

but excessive academic anxiety can disrupt attention,

affect memory and thinking activities, leading to

difficulties, frustration, boredom, or even fear in

learning, potentially harming physical and mental

health. Additionally, academic anxiety may cause

symptoms such as tension, sweating, and sleep

disorders.

The causes of academic anxiety mainly include:

1. unreasonable perceptions of oneself or others, such

as exaggerating failure risks or negating one's

abilities. 2. lack of clear motivation and goals, or

having goals that are too high or too low. 3. weak

willpower and lack of confidence, making it easy to

give up or retreat when faced with challenges. 4.

environmental pressure and lack of support, including

external pressures from family, society, or the

education system, and a lack of effective support and

assistance.

2.3 Depression

Depression is a complex psychological state

involving multiple aspects such as emotions,

interests, cognition, physical well-being, and social

interactions. It typically manifests as persistent

sadness, loss of interest, self-blame, and has

significant impacts on an individual's life and health.

Depression initially shows clear signs of

emotional decline, with patients experiencing

prolonged sadness, hopelessness, and helplessness.

This emotional state is not triggered by specific

events but rather is a pervasive and difficult-to-shake

sense of pain. Depression leads to a loss of interest in

activities and things previously enjoyed, whether

social, academic, work-related, or hobbies. Patients

may find everything uninteresting and lose

motivation to participate in any activities. Depression

also affects cognitive functions, leading to issues such

as memory decline, difficulty concentrating, and

decision-making problems. At this point, they may

hold negative views about themselves and the world

around them, often self-denying and feeling

worthless. Depression often comes with a series of

physical symptoms, including fatigue, weakness,

sleep disorders, and changes in appetite. These

physical symptoms further increase the patient's

psychological burden and affect their quality of life.

Depressed individuals tend to avoid social activities,

gradually distancing themselves from others, possibly

feeling unable to communicate or fearing judgment or

rejection. Long-term social isolation can lead to the

loss of support systems, exacerbating feelings of

loneliness and helplessness.

3 A REVIEW OF MUSIC

THERAPY FOR ALLEVIATING

ACADEMIC ANXIETY AMONG

COLLEGE STUDENTS

Liang found that group music therapy significantly

reduced exam anxiety levels among college students

and effectively alleviates various somatic symptoms

associated with exam anxiety (Yang et al., 2023).

This conclusion is based on a study of 30 college

The Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Alleviating Academic Anxiety and Depression Among College Students

461

students from a certain university who exhibited

exam anxiety, including 12 males and 18 females.

During the research process, participants were tested

with the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and screened

accordingly. Those with TAI scores of no less than 50

points were selected for further study, which included

these 30 students.

Researchers combined receptive music therapy,

re-creative music therapy, and improvisational music

therapy to design a group music therapy program

aimed at relaxing the mind and body, establishing a

sense of security, addressing test anxiety, releasing

and expressing emotions, reinforcing positive

experiences, building positive goals, and stimulating

peak experiences to integrate inner strength. They

divided 30 participants into a control group and an

experimental group, providing the latter with a 4-

week intervention. Each week featured different

themes, including one offline and one online activity,

totaling eight sessions over four weeks. During this

period, the control group received no psychological

intervention. After collecting data, the researcher

used SPSS 25.0 for descriptive statistics, independent

samples t-tests, and pre-test and post-test variance

analysis on the experimental group's data. The results

showed that the difference in TAI scores between the

experimental and control groups was statistically

significant (P < 0.001), indicating that the

experimental group's test anxiety levels were

significantly alleviated. Additionally, the physical

symptoms of the experimental group also improved

obviously.

While this study confirmed that group music

therapy effectively reduces college students' test

anxiety and physical symptoms, it is important to

acknowledge its limitations. The sample size was

small, and not all academic disciplines were covered,

making it difficult to comprehensively analyze the

effects of music therapy across different fields.

Furthermore, there was a higher proportion of female

participants, leading to gender imbalance, which

might affect the measurement data and research

outcomes. Lastly, the control group received no

intervention, so the differences between the groups

may not solely result from music therapy but from the

mere presence of activities in one group and their

absence in the other. Future research will aim to

increase the sample size, cover a broader range of

academic disciplines, ensure gender balance, and

improve the study design to enhance the

persuasiveness of the results.

In this study, researchers successfully integrated

receptive, re-creative, and improvisational music

therapies, demonstrating that group music therapy has

a positive impact on college students by effectively

reducing test anxiety and various physical symptoms.

Moreover, the therapeutic effects of group music

therapy have a certain level of sustainability,

continuing to benefit participants even after the

treatment ends. However, over time, the effectiveness

of music therapy may decrease, potentially leading to

a resurgence of test anxiety and physical symptoms.

Therefore, the researchers recommend regularly

conducting group music therapy sessions at schools

to prevent the recurrence of test anxiety symptoms.

Currently, due to uneven economic development

levels and resource distribution, music therapy

activities at universities across the country are limited

and mostly focus on receptive music therapy. For

example, Zhang Cong and Zhang Yuanyuan's study

on strategies for alleviating college students' anxiety

through receptive music therapy (Liang., 2024). The

researchers used this technique by having students

listen to and feel the music to regulate their emotions

and emotional states, thereby reducing academic,

social, and employment-related anxieties.

In Tao Zhenzhen's research on how receptive

Wuxing (Five Elements) music can regulate college

students' anxiety, the researchers pointed out that

receptive Wuxing music is based on the theory of

Wuxing music therapy and uses receptive music

therapy techniques. By listening to and feeling

Wuxing music in a quiet environment, different forms

and elements of the music correspond to the five

elements, aiming to balance Yin and Yang and their

mutual generation and overcoming relationships.

This method has the effects of regulating emotions,

relieving stress, and reducing pain, making it an

effective non-pharmacological treatment (Zhang &

Zhang, 2024). The researchers noted that although

several studies have found the regulatory effect of

receptive Wuxing music therapy on anxiety, there are

relatively few studies specifically targeting college

students. Therefore, this study aims to explore the

regulatory effect of receptive Wuxing music on

college students' anxiety to help more students lower

their anxiety levels, relieve stress, and improve their

psychological and physical health.

The study used a randomized controlled

intervention design, selecting college students from

Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

as participants. Those meeting the criteria were

randomly divided into three groups: the Wuxing

music group with 27 participants, the Western music

group with 27 participants, and the control group with

26 participants. The Wuxing music group received

receptive Wuxing music therapy, the Western music

group listened to major key fast music, and the

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control group did not receive any music therapy. The

intervention lasted six weeks, with primary outcome

measures assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety

Scale (SAS), and secondary outcomes measured

using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Sleep

Self-Assessment Scale, and heart rate analysis to

investigate the relationship between college students'

anxiety and these indicators. Data analysis was

conducted using SPSS 26.0, and results were obtained

through within-group, between-group, multiple

comparisons, and correlation analyses. The findings

confirmed that: 1) Receptive Wuxing music therapy

effectively regulates college students' anxiety,

showing a significant decrease in anxiety scores after

six weeks of musical intervention compared to the

control group, which struggled to manage anxiety in

daily life. 2) The effect of receptive Wuxing music

therapy on regulating anxiety is comparable to

general receptive music therapy and both are superior

to the control group, though the Western music group

showed significant effects earlier. 3) Receptive

Wuxing music therapy also improves college

students' mental health and sleep quality and

significantly reduces heart rates.

This study investigated the effect of receptive

pentatonic music therapy on alleviating anxiety

among college students. However, there are still areas

for improvement: (1) The research sample was

limited to students from a single university with a

small sample size, which may lack

representativeness. Future studies should expand the

sample size and increase diversity. (2) The

intervention duration was short; future research

should extend the intervention period and explore its

impact on effectiveness. (3) This study only assessed

immediate effects post-intervention, neglecting long-

term effects. Long-term efficacy evaluations are

needed. (4) Most observation indicators were highly

subjective. Future studies should use more objective

metrics like physiological indicators such as heart

rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and

respiratory rate. (5) The selected music types were

limited and did not consider individual preferences.

Future studies could allow participants to choose their

preferred music types and evaluate different music

types' effects on anxiety.

The above research focused on receptive music

therapy methods. However, most participants in

music therapy follow-ups prefer improvisational

music therapy because it allows them to freely play

various instruments and express their emotions

uniquely through music. Future research should

explore improvisational music therapy to enhance its

effectiveness.

4 REVIEW OF MUSIC

THERAPY'S EFFECT ON

ALLEVIATING DEPRESSION

AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

As society develops, the number of college students

increases, leading to higher employment pressure and

various psychological issues. These problems can

easily cause negative emotions, affecting physical

and mental health, potentially leading to depression

and even threatening lives. Many studies show that

music therapy can help alleviate depressive

symptoms and improve mental health among college

students, promoting healthier and happier growth.

In Zhong Daiqin's empirical study on group music

therapy for improving college students' depressive

moods, researchers used group music therapy

involving activities related to music experiences, such

as listening to songs, singing, playing instruments,

and moving to music rhythms. The study confirmed

that music therapy could help college students

improve and alleviate depressive symptoms,

enhancing their mental health levels (Tao, 2023).

Researchers conducted psychological tests on

first-year freshmen and selected 15 students as

participants based on the depression factor score from

the SCL-90, with scores of 2.5 or higher. The

measurement tools used were: 1. The Self-Rating

Anxiety Scale (SAS) for initial screening; 2. The Self-

Rating Depression Scale (SDS) for pre-test and post-

test measurements. During the study, group music

therapy was implemented five times, once a week for

90 minutes each session, with a pre-test conducted

before each session. The therapy sessions were

themed as follows: (1) Music Brings Us Together, (2)

Songs Accompany Our Growth, (3) Discovering

Ourselves Through Musical Journeys, (4)

Communication Begins with Playing Instruments,

and (5) The Collision of Melodies and Colors. After

the five sessions, a post-test was administered, and

both quantitative and qualitative data were collected.

Qualitative analysis was performed based on survey

forms filled out by group members, interviews with

some individual members after the experiment, and

records of discussions during each themed session.

The results showed that group music therapy

effectively improved and alleviated depressive

symptoms among college students, as evidenced by

significant changes in SDS scores before and after the

therapy, with lower total SDS scores post-therapy.

Most participants felt reduced stress and better overall

well-being after the group activities, along with

increased self-confidence, more positive attitudes

The Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Alleviating Academic Anxiety and Depression Among College Students

463

towards life, and greater focus on work and studies,

all contributing to the promotion of mental health

among college students.

The innovative and creative nature of this group

music therapy made it easily acceptable to students

and demonstrated good effectiveness in alleviating

depressive symptoms. However, the study has some

limitations: firstly, the therapy consisted of five

different themes over five sessions, each lasting 90

minutes, which is an appropriate duration but

insufficient in number; additional 2-4 new topics

should be added. Secondly, the quantitative research

was too simplistic, focusing only on SDS pre-tests

and post-tests without including a control group,

making the quantitative results insufficient for

scientifically validating the efficacy of group music

therapy. Lastly, the participant pool was limited to a

single group; diversity should be increased by

involving students from different colleges and majors

to make the results more scientific and reliable. On

the other hand, the findings revealed that group music

therapy not only effectively improves depressive

symptoms but also enhances interpersonal

interactions and self-awareness, aligning well with

the long-term developmental needs of college

students. Therefore, future research could delve

deeper into these aspects.

Wang Xiaoyi and other researchers aimed to

explore the intervention effects of music therapy on

alleviating depressive emotions among medical

students by combining active and passive treatment

methods to maximize therapeutic outcomes (Zhong,

2016). The music therapy materials used included not

only relaxation music and Western symphonies

commonly used in psychological treatments but also

innovatively incorporated Chinese classical music.

The study employed a balanced group pretest-posttest

experimental design, utilizing the Symptom

Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and Self-Rating Depression

Scale (SDS) to screen undergraduate medical

students at North China University of Science and

Technology. Participants with SDS scores above 40

and SCL-90 depression subscale scores above 2.0

were selected, resulting in a total of 66 participants

divided into an experimental group and a control

group, each consisting of 33 individuals. The study

utilized a pretest-posttest design for both groups. The

experimental group received eight sessions of music

therapy over two months, while the control group

received no intervention. Both groups were assessed

using SDS and SCL-90 before and after the

intervention. Independent samples t-tests and paired

samples t-tests were conducted on the experimental

data using SPSS 17.0 for quantitative analysis. The

intervention results showed: (1) There was no

statistically significant difference in SDS scores and

SCL-90 depression subscale scores between the

experimental and control groups before the

intervention. (2) After the intervention, there was a

statistically significant difference in SDS scores and

SCL-90 depression subscale scores between the two

groups, with the experimental group showing lower

scores than the control group. (3) There was no

statistically significant difference in SDS scores and

SCL-90 depression subscale scores between the

control group before and after the intervention. (4) In

the experimental group, there was a statistically

significant difference in SDS scores and SCL-90

depression subscale scores before and after the

intervention, with lower scores post-intervention.

Therefore, the study results demonstrate that music

therapy has a significant effect on alleviating

depressive emotions among college students, while

the control group results indicate that depressive

emotional states do not improve effectively with

increased familiarity and adaptation to university life.

This study combined active and passive treatment

methods, using music therapy materials that included

not only relaxation music and Western symphonies

commonly used in psychological treatments but also

innovatively incorporating Chinese classical music.

This type of Chinese classical music possesses a

unique, indescribable beauty that can have a calming

and soothing effect on depressive emotions. The

study actively applied active music therapy,

encouraging participants to actively engage in

playing, singing, and rhythmic activities,

emphasizing their level of participation in music to

better integrate them into the musical experience,

bringing them closer to the music, allowing them to

better feel the music, become part of it, and express

their emotions through music, providing a good outlet

for their depressive emotions. Additionally,

observing the experimental process revealed that

most participants were able to actively and seriously

engage in the entire experiment, completing each task

well and discussing and sharing their feelings with

group members. Thus, this study confirms that the

activity plan designed by integrating music therapy

techniques and some group counseling formats for

addressing depressive emotions among college

students is operable and feasible.

In a study by Wan Ying and other researchers on

the efficacy factors of group music therapy for

alleviating depressive symptoms in college students,

the researchers focused on the depressive symptoms

of college students. They used the Symptom

Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Self-Rating Depression Scale

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(SDS), Irvin Yalom's Efficacy Factor Scale, and

SPSS 20.0 data processing software as research tools.

They conducted group music therapy interventions on

college students with varying degrees of depression

to explore effective ways to improve depressive

symptoms through group music therapy. They also

analyzed the work efficiency and development of

these efficacy factors at different stages of group

music therapy based on Irvin Yalom's 'efficacy

factors,' validating their effectiveness (Wang et al.,

2020). The study found that: first, the work efficiency

of efficacy factors varies at different stages of group

music therapy, with dominant factors including

existential awareness, emotional release,

interpersonal learning, and group cohesion; second,

each efficacy factor gradually increases in level as the

intervention progresses, reaching its peak efficiency;

third, after the group music therapy intervention, the

participants' depressive conditions showed significant

improvement. Finally, the researchers hope that this

study can explore and develop the field of music

therapy in China, providing more ideas for future

music therapy research and enabling music therapy to

serve more people. Other studies also examine the

impact of music therapy on different groups (Wang et

al., 2011, Zhang et al., 2022, Wu, 2002).

In summary, employing group music therapy

activities can effectively alleviate and relieve

depressive emotions in college students, improving

their psychological state and optimizing their

psychological qualities, which is feasible and has

good potential for widespread application. Currently,

there are numerous studies in China on improving

college students' mental health through group

counseling. From the perspective of counseling

forms, targeted group psychological counseling

aimed at helping college students regulate depressive

symptoms is becoming increasingly diverse.

However, research on using group music therapy to

help college students with depressive symptoms is

still scarce. In future research, beneficial and effective

attempts can be made in this area, further exploring

and developing this field, enriching the forms and

contents of group psychological counseling for

college students, and providing reference research

materials and practical models for group music

therapy counseling in Chinese universities.

5 CONCLUSION

After a comprehensive review and analysis of

extensive literature on the use of music therapy in

alleviating academic anxiety and depression among

college students, this study concludes that music

therapy, as a psychological intervention, has shown

significant effectiveness in reducing academic

anxiety and depression among college students.

Through its unique emotional and mood-regulating

functions, music therapy can effectively lower

anxiety levels, alleviate depressive symptoms, boost

self-confidence, and foster a positive and optimistic

outlook on life, contributing to healthier and happier

growth. Additionally, the diversity and flexibility of

music therapy offer broad possibilities for its

application in mental health interventions for college

students. From simple music listening to complex

music creation and performance, music therapy can

be tailored to individual differences and needs,

achieving precise treatment. This personalized

approach not only enhances treatment outcomes but

also increases college students' acceptance and

participation in music therapy.

This study also highlights future research

directions and challenges. While music therapy has

achieved notable results in alleviating academic

anxiety and depression among college students,

further investigation is needed into its long-term

effects and mechanisms, as well as its combined

application with other psychological interventions.

Moreover, the personalized design and optimization

of music therapy for college students from different

cultural backgrounds, personality types, and levels of

academic pressure deserve deeper exploration.

In summary, music therapy, as an effective mental

health intervention, holds great potential and

significant practical value in alleviating academic

anxiety and depression among college students. In the

future, the author hopes more researchers will focus

on this field, jointly promoting the in-depth

development of music therapy in the mental health of

college students, contributing more wisdom and

strength to their psychological well-being and all-

around development.

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