Examination and Comparison of the Effectiveness of Music Therapy Based on Music Education with the Orff Schulwerk Approach in Reducing Anxiety and Depression in Children
Keywords:
Children, Music therapy, Orff Schulwerk approach, Depression, Music education , AnxietyAbstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of music therapy based on music education with the Orff Schulwerk approach in reducing anxiety and depression in children.
Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest structure, accompanied by a control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of children aged 8 to 10 years in Shiraz City, from whom 80 participants were selected through simple random sampling in a screening process. After sample attrition, 78 participants were randomly assigned into two groups—experimental and control—each consisting of 39 individuals. The experimental group participated in eight 120-minute sessions of music education based on a researcher-developed protocol, while the control group did not receive any training. The data collection instrument was the DASS-Y questionnaire for Iranian children and adolescents. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-26 software with univariate and multivariate covariance analysis tests, as well as paired t-tests.
Findings: The results indicated that the music therapy intervention led to a significant reduction in anxiety and depression levels among participants in both the posttest and follow-up phases (P<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between the intervention’s effectiveness in reducing anxiety compared to depression (P<0.05), with the reduction in anxiety being greater than the reduction in depression.
Conclusion: Music education with the Orff Schulwerk approach can be used as an effective method for reducing anxiety and depression in children, contributing to the improvement of their mental health. Child mental health professionals may apply this intervention alongside other therapeutic approaches to reduce children’s anxiety and depression levels.
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