Effects of a piano music listening intervention on depression, academic burnout, and mindfulness: evidence from a randomized controlled trial among Chinese university students

IntroductionUniversity students are increasingly vulnerable to mental health problems, such as depression and academic burnout, due to academic pressure and social challenges. As a non-pharmacological and cost-effective approach, music-based interventions have shown promise in improving psychological well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a short-term piano music listening intervention in improving depressive symptoms, mindfulness levels, and academic burnout among Chinese university students.MethodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted among 120 undergraduate students (drawn from 125 randomized; see participant flow), who were randomly assigned to either a piano music intervention group (n = 60) receiving daily piano music listening sessions for 20 days, or a white noise control group (n = 60). Data were analyzed using R software with mixed-design ANOVA.ResultsPost-intervention analysis showed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms (p < 0.001) and academic burnout subscales (p < 0.05), as well as a significant increase in mindfulness levels (p < 0.001) in the intervention group compared to the control group.ConclusionThe findings suggest that a short-term piano music listening intervention may be beneficial for reducing depressive symptoms and improving mindfulness and academic burnout among university students under the conditions tested, and may serve as a complementary strategy for promoting student mental health in educational settings.