An interventional study of Active Group Music Therapy and Receptive Group Music Therapy in Anxiety, Emotional Well-Being and Social Connectedness, sponsored by Chinese University of Hong Kong. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 26 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-06.
Sponsored by Chinese University of Hong Kong · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
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.
This study used a parallel-group randomized controlled design to examine the effects of two structured formats of group music therapy on emotional well-being, anxiety symptoms, self-rated health, and social connectedness among undergraduate students in urban China. Participants were recruited through university announcements and campus-based advertisements. Eligible participants provided informed consent and completed baseline assessments before being randomly allocated to one of three conditions: active group music therapy, receptive group music therapy, or a waitlist control group.
The intervention period lasted 6 weeks. Participants assigned to either music therapy condition attended weekly in-person group sessions of approximately 60 minutes in small groups (10-15 participants). Sessions were delivered by trained music therapists using standardized protocols to ensure structural equivalence across conditions. The active group music therapy format emphasized participatory music-making (e.g., group singing, rhythmic call-and-response, body percussion, and collaborative musical activities) and included brief guided group discussion at the end of each session. The receptive group music therapy format emphasized guided music listening, music-assisted imagery/visualization, reflective writing or moderated discussion, and relaxation/breathing exercises.
Participants in the waitlist control condition did not receive any intervention during the 6-week study period but completed the same baseline and post-intervention assessments as the intervention groups. After completion of the study, waitlist participants were offered the option to attend one group music therapy session.
All outcomes were assessed using self-report measures administered at baseline and immediately after the 6-week period.
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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
Exclusion Criteria:
Self-reported severe active clinical diagnosis
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)
Positive affect (I-PANAS-SF Positive Affect subscale)
Positive affect assessed using the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form (I-PANAS-SF), Positive Affect subscale. Higher scores indicate higher positive affect.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)
Negative affect (I-PANAS-SF Negative Affect subscale)
Negative affect assessed using the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form (I-PANAS-SF), Negative Affect subscale. Higher scores indicate higher negative affect.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)
Self-rated general health (SF-36 General Health subscale)
General health assessed using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), General Health subscale. Scores are transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better perceived health.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)
Social connectedness (Social Connectedness Scale-Revised)
Social connectedness assessed using the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (SCS-R), Social Connectedness subscale. Higher scores indicate stronger perceived social connectedness.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data and study materials will be made publicly available via the Open Science Framework (OSF).
Supporting information: Study protocol, Analytic code
This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Chinese University of Hong Kong