99 ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF MUSIC-RELATED INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE PROJECT EXPERIENCE ON THE RELIEF OF SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
Authors: Xiao Dan 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Background
Schizophrenia is a common serious mental illness, and patients often experience cognitive, emotional and behavioral disorders. Existing treatments mainly include drug therapy and psychotherapy, but these treatments often have certain side effects or unstable effects. In recent years, the application of intangible cultural heritage in the treatment of mental illness has attracted more and more attention. In particular, music-related intangible cultural heritage projects may have a positive impact on patients’ emotional regulation, cognitive improvement and symptom relief through cultural experience. Therefore, exploring the efficacy of music-related intangible cultural heritage projects on patients with schizophrenia has become a research topic with practical significance.

Methods
The study selected 70 schizophrenia patients as the experimental group. All patients underwent strict clinical diagnosis and met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-V). The control group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers. The patients in the experimental group participated in a 6-week music-related intangible cultural heritage project experience, including traditional music performance, singing and auditory stimulation. Through the emotional communication and cultural immersion of music, the patients were helped to relax and relieve symptoms. During the study, all participants were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the emotional and cognitive functions were evaluated by standardized psychometric tools. Symptom assessment and psychological measurement were conducted before and after the intervention, and the changes in data were analyzed by statistical methods.

Results
The results showed that the music-related intangible cultural heritage project had a significant effect on the symptom relief of patients with schizophrenia. Compared with before the intervention, the positive symptoms of the patients were significantly improved, and the total PANSS score decreased from 84.7 ± 9.3 before the intervention to 65.3 ± 8.1 after the intervention, and the difference was statistically significant (P &lt; 0.01). In particular, the improvement of patients’ symptoms in terms of emotional indifference and social withdrawal was particularly significant. The score of positive symptoms decreased from 43.5 ± 6.2 before intervention to 32.1 ± 5.7 after intervention, and the score of cognitive symptoms also decreased significantly, from 21.2 ± 4.3 before intervention to 15.4 ± 3.2 after intervention (P &lt; 0.05). In addition, after participating in the music-related intangible cultural heritage project, the patients’ emotional state improved, and the scores of self-rating scales for depression and anxiety also decreased significantly, by 15% and 18%, respectively.

Discussion
Studies have shown that music-related intangible cultural heritage projects have a significant effect on symptom relief in patients with schizophrenia, and can effectively reduce patients’ positive symptoms and improve their emotional and cognitive functions. This non-drug treatment method provides a new idea and method for the treatment of schizophrenia. Through the artistry and emotionality of music, patients can get emotional counseling during the participation process, thereby improving their overall mental state and enhancing their quality of life.