African Educational Research Journal Vol. 13(4) - Full Length Research Paper - Folk music therapy in community-based mental health education for the elderly - An educational intervention study based on empirical evidence from Chongqing

Q: What is the main purpose of the study?

To assess whether folk music therapy can function as an educational intervention that improves psychological well-being for older adults in community-based mental health education.

Q: How was the intervention implemented for participants?

Participants took part in structured listening sessions featuring classical Guqin compositions, supported by reflective dialogues intended to strengthen cultural identity, emotional regulation, and social connectedness.

Q: What outcomes did the study report?

Quantitative results showed significant reductions in depression and anxiety, with moderate decreases in loneliness, while qualitative findings indicated improved self-awareness, resilience, and cultural belonging through internalized therapeutic strategies.

Oct 15, 2026

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Study evaluates folk music therapy as an educational intervention supporting psychological well-being among elderly residents in a community nursing home in Chongqing, China. A pre–post experimental design recruited ten older adults with depression and anxiety symptoms and ten cultural/clinical informants. Structured listening to classical Guqin pieces plus reflective dialogues targeted cultural identity, emotional regulation, and social connectedness, producing significant reductions in depression and anxiety and moderate loneliness improvement, with qualitative reports of self-awareness, resilience, and cultural belonging.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Research aim and gap

Comparison with Western music therapy models

Significance of the study

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 13(4), pp. 395-402, October 2025 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Folk music therapy in community-based mental health education for the elderly: An educational intervention study based on empirical evidence from Chongqing Hongyu Chen, Khomkrich Karin and Peerapong Sensai College of Music, Mahasarakham University, Thailand. Accepted 12 September, 2025 | ABSTRACT
This study explores the effectiveness of folk music therapy as an educational intervention to promote psychological well-being among elderly residents in a community nursing home in Chongqing, China. Guided by a pre–post experimental design, the study recruited ten older adults who reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, along with ten cultural and clinical informants who provided contextual perspectives. Participants engaged in structured listening sessions featuring classical Guqin compositions, accompanied by reflective dialogues designed to enhance cultural identity, emotional regulation, and social connectedness. Quantitative analysis revealed significant reductions in depression (t = 3.21, p < .01) and anxiety (t = 2.94, p < .05), with moderate decreases in loneliness. Qualitative findings further indicated that participants internalized therapeutic strategies as educational resources, reporting enhanced self-awareness, resilience, and cultural belonging. These results suggest that folk music therapy, when situated within a community education framework, can serve both therapeutic and pedagogical functions, bridging mental health support with cultural transmission. The study highlights the value of integrating traditional music into gerontological education to foster active aging and proposes future research directions for expanding sample diversity, testing longitudinal effects, and innovating intergenerational and digital models.
Keywords: Folk music therapy, elderly education, community health, psychological well-being, cultural identity, Chongqing. | | --- | | *Corresponding author. Email: [haichaojiang1@gmail.com](haichaojiang1@gmail.com). | INTRODUCTION In contemporary society, the demographic transition toward an aging population has raised significant global concerns about the mental health and social well-being of older adults. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, individuals aged 65 and above now represent more than 15% of the total population, with Chongqing emerging as one of the fastest aging metropolitan regions (Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, 2023) . Psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness are increasingly prevalent among the elderly, with over half of older adults reporting recurrent experiences of inner emptiness or social isolation (Chen, 2020) . If left unaddressed, these conditions can profoundly diminish the quality of life for individuals and further weaken the resilience and sustainability of community health systems. Amid these challenges, traditional cultural practices—especially folk music therapy—present valuable yet underexplored resources for enhancing psychological resilience and emotional regulation. Folkmusic therapy, rooted in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy, aims to achieve harmony between the body and mind through soundscapes deeply embedded in Chinese cultural practices, such as the Guqin repertoire (Ai, 2021) . Despite its long-standing historical significance, folk music therapy has been marginalized in favor of Western-oriented psychological interventions, and its application remains fragmented, often lacking systematic Afr Educ Res J 396 frameworks for educational or community-based implementation (Zhang, 2022) . This study aims to address a significant gap in the integration of traditional folk music therapy into community-based mental health education for the elderly. While previous studies have documented its therapeutic effects in clinical or rehabilitative contexts

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

To assess whether folk music therapy can function as an educational intervention that improves psychological well-being for older adults in community-based mental health education.

How was the intervention implemented for participants?

Participants took part in structured listening sessions featuring classical Guqin compositions, supported by reflective dialogues intended to strengthen cultural identity, emotional regulation, and social connectedness.

What outcomes did the study report?

Quantitative results showed significant reductions in depression and anxiety, with moderate decreases in loneliness, while qualitative findings indicated improved self-awareness, resilience, and cultural belonging through internalized therapeutic strategies.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by eBook King