An interventional study of Group Music Therapy and Psychoeducational Lectures in Rural Left-Behind Children, Social Adaptation and Character Development, sponsored by Shangqiu Normal University. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 10 Years to 14 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-16.
Sponsored by Shangqiu Normal University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Rural left-behind children (LBC) are children in rural China whose parents have migrated to cities for work. They often face emotional and social difficulties because of long-term separation from parents. This study examines whether structured group music therapy can help improve the social adaptation of left-behind children.
The study has two parts:
Children in both groups are assessed at three time points: before the program, immediately after the program, and one month later. The main outcomes are changes in personality traits (psychoticism, extraversion, neuroticism, and dissimulation) and social adaptation (psychological superiority, psychological energy, interpersonal adaptability, and psychological resilience).
This study will provide evidence on whether group music therapy is a feasible and effective way to support the mental health and social adaptation of rural left-behind children.
The cross-sectional survey employed a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method. Five rural middle schools and five rural primary schools were selected in each region, with 2-3 classes sampled per school by grade. Participants were students in grades 4-9 (ages 9-17). LBC were defined as children aged 6-16 with rural household registration whose parent(s) had migrated for work for at least six months and who remained in rural hometowns under the care of grandparents, other relatives, or siblings.
The RCT included 24 LBC aged 10-14 years with both parents migrated and under grandparental care. Simple random allocation (drawing lots) assigned participants to experimental (n = 12) and control (n = 12) groups. The experimental group received eight weekly 90-minute group music therapy sessions (six participants per group) led by a qualified music therapist, integrating receptive listening, instrumental improvisation, and recreational singing techniques. The control group received weekly psychoeducational lectures on mental health. Both groups completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-RSC) and Adolescent Social Adaptation Scale (ASAS) at pre-test (T0), post-test (T1), and one-month follow-up (T2).
88 studies on the registry are indexed under Social Adjustment; 21 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 24 is below the median of 73 across 68 interventional studies indexed under Social Adjustment.
Browse Social Adjustment studies →Shangqiu Normal University is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.
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You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Eight weekly 90-minute group music therapy sessions led by a qualified music therapist, integrating receptive listening, instrumental improvisation, and recreational singing.
Behavioral: Group Music Therapy
Weekly 90-minute psychoeducational lectures on adolescent mental health, emotion regulation, and social skills, delivered by school counselors.
Behavioral: Psychoeducational Lectures
Structured group music therapy program, 8 weekly sessions of 90 minutes each, led by a qualified music therapist. The program integrates receptive music listening, instrumental improvisation, and recreational singing techniques to improve personality adjustment and social adaptation among rural left-behind children.
Weekly 90-minute psychoeducational lectures on adolescent mental health, covering emotion regulation, social skills training, and stress management, delivered by school counselors.
Change in Personality Trait Scores
Measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-RSC), including four dimensions: psychoticism (P), extraversion (E), neuroticism (N), and dissimulation (L). T-scores are standardized (M=50, SD=10).
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), immediate post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up
Change in Total Social Adaptation Score
Measured by the Adolescent Social Adaptation Scale (ASAS), total score ranges from 70 to 350, with higher scores indicating better social adaptation.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), immediate post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up
Intervention Attendance and Adherence
Number of music therapy sessions attended by each participant, recorded as attendance rate (out of 8 sessions).
Time frame: At the end of the 8-week intervention period
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Shangqiu Normal University