# Music Therapy in Mental Health and Emotional Diversion of Primary and Secondary School Students

Authors: Dong Li
Journal: Occupational Therapy International
 (2022)

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## Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide a group music therapy intervention for elementary and middle school students with mood disorders through music therapy. To explore the improvement of group music therapy on the dysphoria and state of adolescent patients with mood disorders and to explore the relationship with self-identity. A music activity-based mental health education curriculum was designed based on the results of the current survey, while two homogenous classes were selected as the experimental and control classes; subsequently, the experimental teaching of the music activity-based mental health education curriculum was conducted in the experimental class, and the regular school mental health education curriculum was conducted in the control class, and the pre- and postexperimental scale tests were used to analyze that the curriculum of this study had a positive effect of this study’s curriculum on elementary school students’ positive emotions analyzed through pre- and postexperimental scale tests. The music activity-based mental health education program had a significant positive effect on the overall level of positive emotions of elementary school students, especially in the positive emotion index, happiness index, mental toughness, goal focus, and interpersonal assistance factor. The positive psychology-oriented music activity-based mental health education curriculum is well suited for elementary and middle school students, especially for upper elementary and middle school students. The music activity-based mental health education curriculum realizes the value of applying positive psychology to mental health education efforts at the elementary school level and flexibly uses a variety of related theories to promote positive emotional experiences for elementary and middle school students.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

With the rapid development of society, the requirements for talent training are getting higher and higher, and the academic burden of primary and secondary school students who are not yet full of wings is increasing. These negative emotional states can have many negative effects on their physical and mental development [1]. In the past, researchers have mostly focused on negative emotions, focusing on how individuals can better cope with the negative emotions that have arisen. Today, with the rise of positive psychology, researchers are focusing on positive ways to prevent negative emotions and events from occurring. Mental health education activities in primary and secondary schools should be based on the education and development of students, the development of positive psychological qualities, the realization of psychological potential, and the focus on the prevention and resolution of various psychological behavior problems in the developmental process. From this perspective, music belongs to an attribute within the category of ideology, which is mainly determined by the socio-economic base and superstructure, while the ideology also reacts to the socio-economic base and superstructure [2]. In addition, from the perspective of human subjective feelings, music affects people’s hearing through sound, and then, the appreciators judge this hearing, whether it is happy, sad, thoughtful, or sad, which in turn brings and influences people’s intuition and other feelings, and even affects people’s emotions and thoughts. Ugwuanyi et al. believes that everything is interrelated and complementary to everything else, except for itself. In the analysis and study of music, music should not be analyzed independently, but about related things, which is important for our comprehensive understanding of music [3].In modern society, people only have some superficial understanding of music therapy. Some people think that music therapy is just a simple treatment, that is, listening to music and relaxing; others think that we can do self-therapy by just buying a music therapy CD at a video store. These are wrong. We can relax through music, but we cannot achieve therapeutic effects. Music therapy is a scientific and systematic therapeutic process that includes the application of various methods and theories; it uses all forms of music-related activities as a means, such as listening, singing, instrumental music, dancing, art, and other activities, and the therapeutic process must also have three elements: music, the person being treated, and a specially trained music therapist [4]. This study takes the different effects of different rhythmic music forms on relieving the psychological stress of elementary school students as the starting point of the study and conducts a systematic experimental study to try to select a more appropriate music style to treat and relieve the psychological problems of elementary school students due to excessive academic stress and to guide elementary school students to adopt a more positive and healthy way to face the psychological problems through music education. It is of great practical significance to guide elementary school students to adopt a more positive and healthy way to face their psychological problems, improve their psychological tolerance, and maintain a positive and healthy state of mind through music education.Then, it is worthwhile for schools and teachers to think about what methods can stimulate primary and secondary school students’ positive emotions and can make them maintain such positive emotional experiences in the long run-in elementary school mental health education teaching [5]. The current mental health education curriculum in primary and secondary schools is mostly lecture-based, and few studies try to integrate music activities into the mental health education curriculum. This paper will explore a new form of using music activities as a medium to stimulate and cultivate positive emotions among elementary school students in teaching activities, enrich the form of mental health education curriculum, and provide a new curriculum solution to enhance the level of positive emotions of elementary and middle school students [6]. This study is aimed at introducing the idea of positive psychology into the mental health education curriculum of primary and secondary schools and exploring the impact of music-based mental health education classes on elementary school students’ positive emotions through simple and easy-to-use music activities, using their characteristics and unique advantages to stimulate their positive emotional experiences, explore their potential, and develop their positive psychological qualities. We hope to explore the influence of music-based mental health education classes on the positive emotions of elementary school students, promote the localization of positive psychology research, and provide a theoretical and practical basis for the development of school mental health education.The period of primary and secondary school is a key stage in the development of habits and the shaping of a healthy personality in a person’s life. It is the responsibility of the whole society to encourage primary and secondary school students to develop good habits and have a healthy mind. Music therapy is a method of psychotherapy, which can help them shape a healthy mind and relieve anxiety, tension, and even depression in time without the use of drugs. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the application of music therapy in the mental health and emotional counseling of primary and middle school students.


## 2. Related Works

Music brings different entertainment functions to people of different ages. Young people are more inclined to party and sing, create music, etc., and get relaxation through the inculcation and infection of music. The elderly are more inclined to strengthen their bodies, relieve loneliness, and so on [7]. At this stage, the level of economic development in China is rising, and many elderly people like to participate in musical entertainment activities based on being able to meet their basic material needs. In our daily life, we can often see many elderly people taking a walk while carrying a radio with them to entertain and relax through music. Many elderly people who are retired at home say they like to walk, sing, and dance in the park after tea and dinner to enrich their entertainment life through music [8]. In addition to the city in the countryside on New Year’s Eve, there are also artistic groups performing, and many elderly people in the countryside like to participate in them. In the modern era of technological development, music is becoming increasingly abundant, and in addition to television and radio, there are more types of music available through smartphones and computers [9]. The entertainment function and role of music for the elderly is self-evident, through the participation in music entertainment activities, can fully relax the body and mind, entertain the body and mind, under the role of music with dance or gymnastics, and then, achieve the purpose of strengthening the body. In addition, participation in music activities can also make more friends, promote communication between people, relieve inner pressure, and relieve inner loneliness.Chang et al. believe that stress is a kind of perception and reaction of students to the learning environment they live in, and that learning stress is a normal mental reaction of students, but when learning stress exceeds the range students can bear, students will naturally produce a state of high tension and anxiety, which to some extent affects students’ effective learning [10]. This paper adopts the definition of learning stress given by Salomon-Gimmon and Elefant: learning stress is the psychological discomfort and other reactions of students in the learning process, and excessive learning stress will affect students’ learning status, reduce learning efficiency, and increase the mental effort of learning [11]. In their study, Wu pointed out that in the current social context of primary education, learning tasks have become the main tasks in students’ growth [12]. The effective dynamic model of positive emotions proposed by Ueda et al. argued that positive emotions play a pivotal role in goal adaptation [13]. In usual situations, positive and negative emotions are independent of each other and relatively independent, although if conditions of adversity are encountered, it is highly likely that positive emotions will have a dampening effect on negative emotions caused by stressful events, i.e., positive emotions buffer the stressful response in negative events, which has an enhancing effect on the individual’s psychological well-being. In conclusion, the model mainly shows that positive emotions can buffer and suppress the psychological effects of negative emotions, which in turn enhances subjective well-being and promotes personal growth [14]. At this stage, students not only have to face the overwhelmed examinations and homework at school but also face the pressure from family and society, which makes them anxious, nervous, withdrawn, and even depressed.In this study, the experimental and control groups were used to understand the status of positive emotions, happiness index, and mental toughness of primary and secondary school students, respectively, and to analyze the overall level of their positive emotion status [15]. Then, experimental and control classes were selected, the music activity mental health education curriculum of this study was implemented for the experimental classes, and the regular school mental health education curriculum was conducted for the control classes [16]. After the curriculum was fully implemented, posttests on the scales of positive and negative emotions, happiness index, and adolescent mental toughness were conducted in the experimental and control classes to compare the changes in the experimental posttest data of the subjects in the experimental and control classes and whether there was a significant change in the level of positive emotions of the subjects in the experimental class after participating in the music activity mental health education curriculum, to verify the effect of the music activity mental health education curriculum on the positive emotions of primary and secondary school students’ effectiveness.


## 3. Analysis of Music Therapy for Mental Health and Emotional Diversion of Elementary and Middle School Students

### 3.1. Music Therapy Emotional Diversion Design

This paper advocates the use of music therapy programs to address a series of psychological problems of elementary school students due to academic stress, to get into the hearts of elementary and middle school students through music styles, to understand the main influencing factors of academic stress of elementary school students, and to use the music of different rhythms to provide reasonable guidance and educational therapy to elementary school students [16]. On the other hand, we will carry out and implement the policy of “reducing the burden of schoolwork,” focusing on improving the quality and efficiency of learning rather than increasing the burden of learning, and combining the music therapy program with the policy of reducing the burden of schoolwork. In this paper, we propose to combine music therapy programs with load reduction policies to relieve the learning pressure of primary and secondary school students, improve learning efficiency, and promote the healthy growth and development of primary and secondary school students’ bodies and minds. Based on the research hypothesis of this paper, this paper further conducts a questionnaire survey and experimental research on different rhythmic music therapy.In the past, teachers often gave music demonstrations to students, and students sang them in the same way, which was too single and did not ensure students’ interest in the teaching process. Interest is the motivation for students to learn, and the purpose of music teaching is to cultivate students’ curiosity about music through the teaching of rhythm. In the process of teaching music to elementary and middle school students, teachers should not use a rigid and tasteless teaching model and make the classroom active and interesting as the fundamental of teaching elementary and middle school students [17]. The teacher should actively use music games to master the atmosphere of the classroom and understand the psychological activities of primary and secondary school students. By using musical props such as tambourines and handbells to assist teachers in rhythm training, students can master the basic rhythm and stimulate their musical potential.Combining the school and students’ reality and integrating the concept of positive psychology, the overall goal of this study’s music activity mental health education course activities was formulated: using lectures and music activities as the main method and positive psychology theory as the guide, the five aspects of positive strengths, positive emotions, positive relationships, positive coping, and positive growth are used to cultivate and guide elementary school students to gain positive emotional experiences. This is the process of expanding and constructing students’ resources, as shown in Figure1.Figure 1
Music therapy differentiation.When people listen to music, they experience physiological responses such as faster or slower breathing and faster or calmer heartbeats. Musical stimulation lowers blood pressure and adrenaline levels, which in turn improves the body’s internal homeostasis and helps promote relaxation. Music has a significant analgesic effect, increasing the level and concentration of endorphins in the blood and suppressing pain. Music has a great impact on a person’s mood, and in the experience and expression of music, visitors can relieve tension and anxiety and release catharsis of bad emotions [18]. Music influences emotions, which in turn improves one’s cognition. Different forms of musical activities, such as singing and playing, can be used as a medium to express oneself and enhance communication and exchange with others instead of verbal means of communication. Music is the most emotionally expressive art that can awaken the perception and experience of beauty and thus the inner positive power of life.The therapist selects music and designs group activities based on the visitor’s age, cultural background, and musical preferences. If the group is viewed as a person, the music therapist’s role is more like that of a facilitator. As the group proceeds, the therapist uses a variety of different kinds of musical activities and experiences to help visitors explore their relationship with music, their relationship with themselves, and their relationship with the group. In the company of music and the atmosphere of the group, group members can feel their emotional state inwardly and feel and communicate with others outwardly. For those who have difficulty communicating verbally, musical instruments and rhythms can also be used, which will make it easier to establish links between group members and make communication more natural and relaxed. Before the group music therapy session ends, the music therapist will also encourage group members to express their feelings now to reinforce the resources of positive positivity. Each group member’s feelings can be accepted in the group and can also support and learn from each other, as shown in Table1.Table 1
Table of study hypotheses.
NumberRepresentative symbolsAssumptions1H1General stress is more severe2H2Stress is caused by a variety of factors3H3Stress relief after music therapy4H4Academic performance improves after music therapy5H5Different modes are more effective6H6Soft and slow music is effective in relieving stress7H7Fast and strong music is less effectiveThis paper focuses on the feasibility of using different rhythmic forms of music therapy to alleviate the learning stress problem of primary school students and conducts an experimental study on a group of primary school students. In this study, 60 elementary school students were selected as the subjects, because the whole process of using questionnaires to count and calculate the value of the current study stress of elementary school students and to ensure that elementary school students can make the right choice based on their true feelings mainly selected elementary school students in grades 5-6. On the one hand, students in this age group are more mature, and on the other hand, students in grades 5-6 will face the pressure of going to junior high school, so they will feel the academic pressure more deeply. Therefore, the subjects of this paper were selected from elementary school A (our school) 5–6-year students, 60 of them were randomly selected and divided into three groups for further experimental research. Use various elements in music to directly or indirectly guide the human auditory system, such as beautiful melody, bright rhythm, and mellow timbre, stimulate the human auditory nerve, and then, transmit it through neurons. It is transmitted to various parts of the body, causing physiological and psychological changes in the human body.In the actual research process, this paper uses the logical analysis method of induction, comparison, and synthesis to summarize and compare the theoretical data and information obtained, to find out the degree of effect of different music styles on relieving the learning stress of elementary school students through in-depth analysis and thus put forward corresponding suggestions for improvement and perfection, as shown in Figure2.Figure 2
Research model of the effect of different styles of music on stress relief for elementary school students.The questionnaires were designed to investigate the basic information of primary school students, including gender, age, hometown location, whether they are only children, and academic achievement. This part of the questionnaire reflects primary school students’ intuitive feelings and feelings in the face of increasing academic pressure at this stage, which can reflect the burden and mental pressure of primary school students from an objective level. To understand the main sources of academic stress of primary school students at this stage, the questionnaire was designed by setting questions from four aspects: school, family, self and society, and primary school entrance examinations, and students were asked to make accurate choices according to their actual situation [19]. The four parts of the questionnaire are based on a five-point Levi’s scale, and the primary school students are asked to select the appropriate answers directly. For each question, five different situations are set: A is fully consistent; B is more consistent; C is generally consistent; D is not consistent; E is not consistent at all, where A corresponds to 5 points, B is 4 points, C is 3 points, D is 2 points, and E is 1 point; different options represent different points, and the final composite score reflects the actual pressure value of the current stage of elementary school students, to reflect the specific score. The final composite score reflects the actual stress level of primary school students at this stage, with specific scores to reflect the students’ learning stress level.Music activity-based mental health education classes are based on musical activities as a carrier and mutual self-help as a mechanism, emphasizing experience and perception, which not only enhance students’ positive emotions but also exercise students’ interpersonal assistance skills, goal focus, etc., enhancing students’ well-being and promoting their mental health level.


### 3.2. Experimental Design of Mental Health Applications for Elementary and Middle School Students

First, it is mainly a sign that teenagers are not mature enough psychologically. They will blindly imitate and learn some behaviors of other people, and because they have not developed the ability to fully judge good and bad objectively, they will have psychological problems such as ADHD, OCD, inexplicable irritability, sensitivity, suspicion, and restlessness. Once again, when adolescents reach puberty, they will have certain physical and psychological reflections, as they are often referred to [20]. During this period, parents and teachers, if not handled properly, can make students develop psychological problems such as anorexia nets, life confusion, and insomnia. Then, some adolescents are overly perfectionists or comparison seekers, and if parents do not meet their needs, then they will develop a social phobia and negative emotional instability and other psychological problems.Finally, some adolescents are born timid or develop low self-esteem due to stimulation later in life. Due to the lack of confidence and strength in their hearts, they can easily develop psychological problems such as loss of interest in life, feeling that life is meaningless, desperate thoughts, lack of concentration, schizophrenia, and neurasthenia. The significance of finding these causes is to be targeted in music therapy, and depending on the causes of the above psychological problems, the relative methods used in music therapy will differ. The main causes of anxiety among most primary and secondary school students are excessive study pressure, interpersonal barriers, solitude, and autism. Although music therapy includes two major categories of methods, a closer exploration of its contents reveals that not all of them apply to adolescents. The methods I have summarized as applicable to music therapy for adolescents, whose focus is to let students get rid of their distress and solve their problems by themselves in the learning of musical instruments.This research highlights the influence of music on human physical and mental health intervention, and from this perspective, we analyze in-depth the influence of different types and styles of music on human health, as well as the discussion of the influence of music on the health of people with different attributes, and through the aesthetic elements of music itself and the entertainment function presented in the performance process, we analyze the in-depth influence on the audience and feel the charm and infectious power of music. This is the innovation of this research and the characteristic of this research [21]. In addition, the focus and difficulty of this research are to analyze and summarize different forms of music interpretation and different audiences’ reactions to music, to further clarify the aesthetic, entertainment, and therapeutic functions of music. I am sure that the subject of music’s charm and its three functions on human health will also be paid attention to and studied by more experts and research scholars, as shown in Figure 3.Figure 3
Statistical results of extreme emotions.The therapeutic function of music does not mean that music is a cure for the disease, but rather that it is an aid in the treatment of the disease through the action of music. The mechanism of music therapy is based on the stimulating effect of music so that the patient can receive the stimulation from the physiological and psychological point of view and then form a certain influence. Music is a kind of rhythmic sound wave, and when people listen to it, they are stimulated by the sound wave, which makes their body and mind feel a certain kind of emotion, such as excitement, pleasure, sadness, or longing. These unique charms of music stimulate the listener just right and thus play a role in regulating and improving human functions. From a psychological point of view, the effect of music can stimulate the nervous system, achieve the comfort of the human audiovisual system and the sensory system, and then, relieve their psychological stress and bad mood, so that there will be psychological effect of positive guidance.In the practical survey and clinical experience analysis, it is known that the music therapy function has a positive auxiliary effect on the treatment of certain diseases. A vocal teacher in the survey said that one of his friends had nasopharyngeal cancer and could not vocalize like a normal person, but practiced vocalization under the influence of vocal music for a long time and gradually was able to make sounds and later had been able to express a complete sentence. The therapeutic function of music is not only reflected in the treatment and prevention of diseases but also in the psychological relief and treatment of depressive illnesses, as shown in Figure4.Figure 4
Main composition of the primary and secondary school population.For people with depression, listening to music and participating in musical activities can shift the depressed mood, forget about the troubles in life in an upbeat rhythm, communicate more with people in musical activities, improve the usual dull habits, mobilize their emotions, and make them feel positive at the same time. The most direct manifestation of depression is emotional depression, and music is one of the best ways to assist and relieve depression by stimulating the nervous system and reducing the production of bad moods. Music therapy mainly uses various elements of music to directly or indirectly guide the auditory system, such as beautiful melodies, bright rhythms, and mellow tones, which stimulate the auditory nerves and then transmit them to various parts of the body through neuronal transmission, causing physiological and psychological changes in the human body. Various elements in music can stimulate the central nervous system of the brain, causing changes in the psychological state of patients with depression and directly affecting their emotional state through psychological changes. The therapist will select music and design group activities based on the client’s age, cultural background, musical preferences, etc. Using a variety of musical activities and experiences, therapists help clients explore their relationship to music, their relationship to themselves, and their relationship to the group.


## 3.1. Music Therapy Emotional Diversion Design

This paper advocates the use of music therapy programs to address a series of psychological problems of elementary school students due to academic stress, to get into the hearts of elementary and middle school students through music styles, to understand the main influencing factors of academic stress of elementary school students, and to use the music of different rhythms to provide reasonable guidance and educational therapy to elementary school students [16]. On the other hand, we will carry out and implement the policy of “reducing the burden of schoolwork,” focusing on improving the quality and efficiency of learning rather than increasing the burden of learning, and combining the music therapy program with the policy of reducing the burden of schoolwork. In this paper, we propose to combine music therapy programs with load reduction policies to relieve the learning pressure of primary and secondary school students, improve learning efficiency, and promote the healthy growth and development of primary and secondary school students’ bodies and minds. Based on the research hypothesis of this paper, this paper further conducts a questionnaire survey and experimental research on different rhythmic music therapy.In the past, teachers often gave music demonstrations to students, and students sang them in the same way, which was too single and did not ensure students’ interest in the teaching process. Interest is the motivation for students to learn, and the purpose of music teaching is to cultivate students’ curiosity about music through the teaching of rhythm. In the process of teaching music to elementary and middle school students, teachers should not use a rigid and tasteless teaching model and make the classroom active and interesting as the fundamental of teaching elementary and middle school students [17]. The teacher should actively use music games to master the atmosphere of the classroom and understand the psychological activities of primary and secondary school students. By using musical props such as tambourines and handbells to assist teachers in rhythm training, students can master the basic rhythm and stimulate their musical potential.Combining the school and students’ reality and integrating the concept of positive psychology, the overall goal of this study’s music activity mental health education course activities was formulated: using lectures and music activities as the main method and positive psychology theory as the guide, the five aspects of positive strengths, positive emotions, positive relationships, positive coping, and positive growth are used to cultivate and guide elementary school students to gain positive emotional experiences. This is the process of expanding and constructing students’ resources, as shown in Figure1.Figure 1
Music therapy differentiation.When people listen to music, they experience physiological responses such as faster or slower breathing and faster or calmer heartbeats. Musical stimulation lowers blood pressure and adrenaline levels, which in turn improves the body’s internal homeostasis and helps promote relaxation. Music has a significant analgesic effect, increasing the level and concentration of endorphins in the blood and suppressing pain. Music has a great impact on a person’s mood, and in the experience and expression of music, visitors can relieve tension and anxiety and release catharsis of bad emotions [18]. Music influences emotions, which in turn improves one’s cognition. Different forms of musical activities, such as singing and playing, can be used as a medium to express oneself and enhance communication and exchange with others instead of verbal means of communication. Music is the most emotionally expressive art that can awaken the perception and experience of beauty and thus the inner positive power of life.The therapist selects music and designs group activities based on the visitor’s age, cultural background, and musical preferences. If the group is viewed as a person, the music therapist’s role is more like that of a facilitator. As the group proceeds, the therapist uses a variety of different kinds of musical activities and experiences to help visitors explore their relationship with music, their relationship with themselves, and their relationship with the group. In the company of music and the atmosphere of the group, group members can feel their emotional state inwardly and feel and communicate with others outwardly. For those who have difficulty communicating verbally, musical instruments and rhythms can also be used, which will make it easier to establish links between group members and make communication more natural and relaxed. Before the group music therapy session ends, the music therapist will also encourage group members to express their feelings now to reinforce the resources of positive positivity. Each group member’s feelings can be accepted in the group and can also support and learn from each other, as shown in Table1.Table 1
Table of study hypotheses.
NumberRepresentative symbolsAssumptions1H1General stress is more severe2H2Stress is caused by a variety of factors3H3Stress relief after music therapy4H4Academic performance improves after music therapy5H5Different modes are more effective6H6Soft and slow music is effective in relieving stress7H7Fast and strong music is less effectiveThis paper focuses on the feasibility of using different rhythmic forms of music therapy to alleviate the learning stress problem of primary school students and conducts an experimental study on a group of primary school students. In this study, 60 elementary school students were selected as the subjects, because the whole process of using questionnaires to count and calculate the value of the current study stress of elementary school students and to ensure that elementary school students can make the right choice based on their true feelings mainly selected elementary school students in grades 5-6. On the one hand, students in this age group are more mature, and on the other hand, students in grades 5-6 will face the pressure of going to junior high school, so they will feel the academic pressure more deeply. Therefore, the subjects of this paper were selected from elementary school A (our school) 5–6-year students, 60 of them were randomly selected and divided into three groups for further experimental research. Use various elements in music to directly or indirectly guide the human auditory system, such as beautiful melody, bright rhythm, and mellow timbre, stimulate the human auditory nerve, and then, transmit it through neurons. It is transmitted to various parts of the body, causing physiological and psychological changes in the human body.In the actual research process, this paper uses the logical analysis method of induction, comparison, and synthesis to summarize and compare the theoretical data and information obtained, to find out the degree of effect of different music styles on relieving the learning stress of elementary school students through in-depth analysis and thus put forward corresponding suggestions for improvement and perfection, as shown in Figure2.Figure 2
Research model of the effect of different styles of music on stress relief for elementary school students.The questionnaires were designed to investigate the basic information of primary school students, including gender, age, hometown location, whether they are only children, and academic achievement. This part of the questionnaire reflects primary school students’ intuitive feelings and feelings in the face of increasing academic pressure at this stage, which can reflect the burden and mental pressure of primary school students from an objective level. To understand the main sources of academic stress of primary school students at this stage, the questionnaire was designed by setting questions from four aspects: school, family, self and society, and primary school entrance examinations, and students were asked to make accurate choices according to their actual situation [19]. The four parts of the questionnaire are based on a five-point Levi’s scale, and the primary school students are asked to select the appropriate answers directly. For each question, five different situations are set: A is fully consistent; B is more consistent; C is generally consistent; D is not consistent; E is not consistent at all, where A corresponds to 5 points, B is 4 points, C is 3 points, D is 2 points, and E is 1 point; different options represent different points, and the final composite score reflects the actual pressure value of the current stage of elementary school students, to reflect the specific score. The final composite score reflects the actual stress level of primary school students at this stage, with specific scores to reflect the students’ learning stress level.Music activity-based mental health education classes are based on musical activities as a carrier and mutual self-help as a mechanism, emphasizing experience and perception, which not only enhance students’ positive emotions but also exercise students’ interpersonal assistance skills, goal focus, etc., enhancing students’ well-being and promoting their mental health level.


## 3.2. Experimental Design of Mental Health Applications for Elementary and Middle School Students

First, it is mainly a sign that teenagers are not mature enough psychologically. They will blindly imitate and learn some behaviors of other people, and because they have not developed the ability to fully judge good and bad objectively, they will have psychological problems such as ADHD, OCD, inexplicable irritability, sensitivity, suspicion, and restlessness. Once again, when adolescents reach puberty, they will have certain physical and psychological reflections, as they are often referred to [20]. During this period, parents and teachers, if not handled properly, can make students develop psychological problems such as anorexia nets, life confusion, and insomnia. Then, some adolescents are overly perfectionists or comparison seekers, and if parents do not meet their needs, then they will develop a social phobia and negative emotional instability and other psychological problems.Finally, some adolescents are born timid or develop low self-esteem due to stimulation later in life. Due to the lack of confidence and strength in their hearts, they can easily develop psychological problems such as loss of interest in life, feeling that life is meaningless, desperate thoughts, lack of concentration, schizophrenia, and neurasthenia. The significance of finding these causes is to be targeted in music therapy, and depending on the causes of the above psychological problems, the relative methods used in music therapy will differ. The main causes of anxiety among most primary and secondary school students are excessive study pressure, interpersonal barriers, solitude, and autism. Although music therapy includes two major categories of methods, a closer exploration of its contents reveals that not all of them apply to adolescents. The methods I have summarized as applicable to music therapy for adolescents, whose focus is to let students get rid of their distress and solve their problems by themselves in the learning of musical instruments.This research highlights the influence of music on human physical and mental health intervention, and from this perspective, we analyze in-depth the influence of different types and styles of music on human health, as well as the discussion of the influence of music on the health of people with different attributes, and through the aesthetic elements of music itself and the entertainment function presented in the performance process, we analyze the in-depth influence on the audience and feel the charm and infectious power of music. This is the innovation of this research and the characteristic of this research [21]. In addition, the focus and difficulty of this research are to analyze and summarize different forms of music interpretation and different audiences’ reactions to music, to further clarify the aesthetic, entertainment, and therapeutic functions of music. I am sure that the subject of music’s charm and its three functions on human health will also be paid attention to and studied by more experts and research scholars, as shown in Figure 3.Figure 3
Statistical results of extreme emotions.The therapeutic function of music does not mean that music is a cure for the disease, but rather that it is an aid in the treatment of the disease through the action of music. The mechanism of music therapy is based on the stimulating effect of music so that the patient can receive the stimulation from the physiological and psychological point of view and then form a certain influence. Music is a kind of rhythmic sound wave, and when people listen to it, they are stimulated by the sound wave, which makes their body and mind feel a certain kind of emotion, such as excitement, pleasure, sadness, or longing. These unique charms of music stimulate the listener just right and thus play a role in regulating and improving human functions. From a psychological point of view, the effect of music can stimulate the nervous system, achieve the comfort of the human audiovisual system and the sensory system, and then, relieve their psychological stress and bad mood, so that there will be psychological effect of positive guidance.In the practical survey and clinical experience analysis, it is known that the music therapy function has a positive auxiliary effect on the treatment of certain diseases. A vocal teacher in the survey said that one of his friends had nasopharyngeal cancer and could not vocalize like a normal person, but practiced vocalization under the influence of vocal music for a long time and gradually was able to make sounds and later had been able to express a complete sentence. The therapeutic function of music is not only reflected in the treatment and prevention of diseases but also in the psychological relief and treatment of depressive illnesses, as shown in Figure4.Figure 4
Main composition of the primary and secondary school population.For people with depression, listening to music and participating in musical activities can shift the depressed mood, forget about the troubles in life in an upbeat rhythm, communicate more with people in musical activities, improve the usual dull habits, mobilize their emotions, and make them feel positive at the same time. The most direct manifestation of depression is emotional depression, and music is one of the best ways to assist and relieve depression by stimulating the nervous system and reducing the production of bad moods. Music therapy mainly uses various elements of music to directly or indirectly guide the auditory system, such as beautiful melodies, bright rhythms, and mellow tones, which stimulate the auditory nerves and then transmit them to various parts of the body through neuronal transmission, causing physiological and psychological changes in the human body. Various elements in music can stimulate the central nervous system of the brain, causing changes in the psychological state of patients with depression and directly affecting their emotional state through psychological changes. The therapist will select music and design group activities based on the client’s age, cultural background, musical preferences, etc. Using a variety of musical activities and experiences, therapists help clients explore their relationship to music, their relationship to themselves, and their relationship to the group.


## 4. Analysis of Results

### 4.1. Music Therapy Emotional Diversion Outcomes

After the test, the results of the positive emotion index test in the two classes showedp>0.05, indicating that there was no significant difference between the total mean scores of positive emotions in the two classes, that is, the experimental and control classes had comparable levels of positive emotion before the experiment was conducted, and the two classes were homogeneous. Therefore, on this basis, the music activity mental health education program of this study can be conducted in the experimental class and compared with the control class after the experiment to analyze whether the music activity mental health education program affects the positive emotions of elementary school students, as shown in Figure 5.Figure 5
Homogeneity test of positive emotions in two classes.The total mean scores of positive emotion indicators in the posttest of the experimental class were greater than those in the preexperimental test. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the positive emotion indexes of the students in the experimental class after the implementation of the music activity-based mental health education program were significantly higher than those before they participated in this experimental program [22]. The results of the happiness index test for the two classes showed p>0.05, indicating that there was no significant difference between the happiness index scores of the two classes, i.e., the experimental and control classes were comparable before the experiment was conducted, and the two classes were homogeneous. Therefore, on this basis, the music activity mental health education program of this study can be conducted in the experimental class and compared with the control class after the experiment to analyze whether the music activity mental health education program affects the happiness index of elementary school students.First, the content of music activities is coordinated with the content of mental health education. According to the different units of the curriculum, a reasonable selection of music materials is made and the curriculum activities are carried out in a lively and active way. Different melodies will stimulate different emotions in students, such as soothing music can soothe the mind and achieve the effect of calming emotions; rhythmic music can activate the inner motivation of elementary school students and make them feel positive and happy; combative music can replace negative emotions to awaken positive emotions and achieve emotional resonance. The choice of dance and percussion instruments follows the same pattern. Students experience more pleasure, gain positive emotional cognition, and enhance positive psychological qualities in musical activities, as shown in Figure6.Figure 6
Paired sample test for each dimension of self-identity.Second, the content of music activities matches the age characteristics of elementary school students. Music activities as a form of psychological counseling are more interesting and participatory, which can easily stimulate the lively and active nature of elementary school students, and their age characteristics also determine that they are suitable to participate in this kind of visual and vivid music activity psychology class [23]. Therefore, the curriculum should be designed to meet the age characteristics of elementary school students in this period. The choice of music and songs should be suitable for elementary school students and easy for them to understand and accept while paying attention to flexibility and operability. The selection of music equipment should also be suitable for elementary school students. In addition, according to the active nature of elementary school students, it is necessary to do good preplanning before the class so as not to affect the teaching process.With the rise of positive psychology in China, the development of positive emotion levels has been paid attention to by educators in recent years [24]. School mental health education should be student-oriented, while teachers should always pay attention to the changes in students’ emotions, especially the changes that occur in positive emotions, and stimulate and cultivate students’ positive emotions scientifically and reasonably to change behaviors and enhance physical and mental health and to enhance students’ mental health. It can be concluded that the current academic pressure has already existed in the primary school stage. To promote the healthy growth of young people, it is very important for the primary school students to improve their mental health and emotional well-being. It also verifies the importance of this research in reality.In my conversations with students, I found that many students hate learning; they feel pain but must persevere, lack sufficient motivation to learn, and even less experience the joy of learning. A mental health education program that highlights the cultivation of positive emotions can help students relieve academic stress, make them experience the importance of motivation in teaching activities, and guide them to find meaningful ways to learn and perceive the true meaning of learning so that they can develop toward enjoyment and love of learning and promote positive mental qualities while learning efficiency is improved.


### 4.2. Analysis of the Results of Emotion Deescalation

The causes of anxiety include many, mainly excessive academic stress, interpersonal disorders, solitude, and self-imposed isolation. All these factors can affect adolescent communication and can cause adolescents to develop anxiety and tension. Schools can promote self-expression in the form of music as part of their mental health education efforts. Music can be an important tool for individual self-expression, helping students to enrich themselves, especially in group music interactions, through the verbal and melodic elements of music, and in music therapy, through musical activities that address the discomfort of some student’s psychological disorders.Validation mainly refers to the ability of the research variables to accurately and effectively reflect the measures selected through the questionnaire in the survey study to achieve the research objectives. In this study, the validity of the questionnaire was tested using the spherical chi-square test (BTS) for the collected samples. In general, the validity of the questionnaire was evaluated using the KMO index, and the evaluation criteria are:KMO>0.9 means very suitable; 0.8<KMO<0.9 means very suitable; 0.7≤KMO<0.8 is more suitable, when KMO<0.6 is generally regarded as the validity does not meet the standard, as shown in Figure 7.Figure 7
KMO test.Before the implementation of the experimental music therapy program, the student’s current learning stress was firstly assessed and scored by a questionnaire, and the scores of the three groups’ learning stress were calculated and recorded. The music therapy program was started with different rhythms, and the experimental group of elementary school students was given music with strong and fast rhythms as the main method of after-school music therapy and counseling after the experimental group of elementary school students finished their normal study tasks, the music teacher would arrange the group of students to listen to some music with strong and fast rhythms to relieve stress and arrange corresponding stress reduction and counseling work according to the music theme content. After the students in the second group completed their normal learning tasks, the music teacher arranged for the students in the second group to listen to some slow rhythmic and calm music to relieve their stress and arranged for the corresponding stress-reducing counseling work for the music theme content. The students in the control group did not have any special arrangements for music therapy programs and followed their normal study tasks and plans.Fifty-three percent of the elementary school students tested felt that the current stage of the study was very stressful and that academic life was very hard. Twenty-five percent felt that the pressure of learning at this stage was relatively high. Eleven percent of the elementary school students felt that the study pressure was average and within the range of tolerable pressure. There are also 11% of primary school students who think that the current study pressure is relatively low and does not affect their daily life; however, almost no primary school students think that the current school workload is not a pressure for them, as shown in Figure8.Figure 8
Mean scores of pre- and posttests of the four states of self-identity.As shown in the figure, overall, before the group music therapy intervention, the seven group members had smaller differences in mean scores for sameness acquisition and delay, higher scores for early sameness closure status compared to the first two, and highest mean scores for sameness diffusion status. After the 10 group music therapy interventions, all seven group members had higher posttest mean score values for all four sameness status types than the pretest. The difference between the mean scores of homogeneity acquisition and early homogeneity closure was small; the mean score of homogeneity delay was slightly higher compared to the first two, and the mean score of the posttest of homogeneity diffusion remained the highest. When comparing the mean scores of the pre- and posttests of each state, the values of the same sex early closure did not change much, the differences between the mean scores of same-sex acquisition and same-sex diffusion were similar, both were about 2.2, and the mean scores of same-sex delays were the most variable.Group music therapy can improve the mood of adolescents with mood disorders and enhance their ability to manage their emotions. Music therapy, as an auditory art, is known as the art of expressing “emotions.” Music can influence people’s emotions, and people in the adolescent stage are highly receptive to music and have a unique aesthetic approach to music. Even if the members of this group are of similar age and living environment, their perception of music emotion is still individual. Mainly select primary school students in grades 5-6. On the one hand, students in this age group are more mature in mind; on the other hand, students in grades 5-6 will face the pressure of entering a junior high school, so they will feel more academic pressure.In the initial stage, some members thought that fresh music would make them feel happier, while others prefer rock or heavy metal music, believing that their emotional state was immediately elevated several levels when they heard similar music. As the group progressed, group members gradually recognized and accepted their own and others’ different levels of perception of musical emotions and could slowly begin to discuss and communicate with others. The group would also give the therapist suggestions for the next use of music during a particular activity and was able to reach an agreement. For example, when using a particular piece of music, adolescents with more anxious states can achieve relative emotional stability, and adolescents with more depressed states can slightly raise their moods. In an instrumental ensemble activity, group members express their emotions by playing different instruments and can use the playing priorities to identify emotional highs and lows and control their emotional states.


## 4.1. Music Therapy Emotional Diversion Outcomes

After the test, the results of the positive emotion index test in the two classes showedp>0.05, indicating that there was no significant difference between the total mean scores of positive emotions in the two classes, that is, the experimental and control classes had comparable levels of positive emotion before the experiment was conducted, and the two classes were homogeneous. Therefore, on this basis, the music activity mental health education program of this study can be conducted in the experimental class and compared with the control class after the experiment to analyze whether the music activity mental health education program affects the positive emotions of elementary school students, as shown in Figure 5.Figure 5
Homogeneity test of positive emotions in two classes.The total mean scores of positive emotion indicators in the posttest of the experimental class were greater than those in the preexperimental test. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the positive emotion indexes of the students in the experimental class after the implementation of the music activity-based mental health education program were significantly higher than those before they participated in this experimental program [22]. The results of the happiness index test for the two classes showed p>0.05, indicating that there was no significant difference between the happiness index scores of the two classes, i.e., the experimental and control classes were comparable before the experiment was conducted, and the two classes were homogeneous. Therefore, on this basis, the music activity mental health education program of this study can be conducted in the experimental class and compared with the control class after the experiment to analyze whether the music activity mental health education program affects the happiness index of elementary school students.First, the content of music activities is coordinated with the content of mental health education. According to the different units of the curriculum, a reasonable selection of music materials is made and the curriculum activities are carried out in a lively and active way. Different melodies will stimulate different emotions in students, such as soothing music can soothe the mind and achieve the effect of calming emotions; rhythmic music can activate the inner motivation of elementary school students and make them feel positive and happy; combative music can replace negative emotions to awaken positive emotions and achieve emotional resonance. The choice of dance and percussion instruments follows the same pattern. Students experience more pleasure, gain positive emotional cognition, and enhance positive psychological qualities in musical activities, as shown in Figure6.Figure 6
Paired sample test for each dimension of self-identity.Second, the content of music activities matches the age characteristics of elementary school students. Music activities as a form of psychological counseling are more interesting and participatory, which can easily stimulate the lively and active nature of elementary school students, and their age characteristics also determine that they are suitable to participate in this kind of visual and vivid music activity psychology class [23]. Therefore, the curriculum should be designed to meet the age characteristics of elementary school students in this period. The choice of music and songs should be suitable for elementary school students and easy for them to understand and accept while paying attention to flexibility and operability. The selection of music equipment should also be suitable for elementary school students. In addition, according to the active nature of elementary school students, it is necessary to do good preplanning before the class so as not to affect the teaching process.With the rise of positive psychology in China, the development of positive emotion levels has been paid attention to by educators in recent years [24]. School mental health education should be student-oriented, while teachers should always pay attention to the changes in students’ emotions, especially the changes that occur in positive emotions, and stimulate and cultivate students’ positive emotions scientifically and reasonably to change behaviors and enhance physical and mental health and to enhance students’ mental health. It can be concluded that the current academic pressure has already existed in the primary school stage. To promote the healthy growth of young people, it is very important for the primary school students to improve their mental health and emotional well-being. It also verifies the importance of this research in reality.In my conversations with students, I found that many students hate learning; they feel pain but must persevere, lack sufficient motivation to learn, and even less experience the joy of learning. A mental health education program that highlights the cultivation of positive emotions can help students relieve academic stress, make them experience the importance of motivation in teaching activities, and guide them to find meaningful ways to learn and perceive the true meaning of learning so that they can develop toward enjoyment and love of learning and promote positive mental qualities while learning efficiency is improved.


## 4.2. Analysis of the Results of Emotion Deescalation

The causes of anxiety include many, mainly excessive academic stress, interpersonal disorders, solitude, and self-imposed isolation. All these factors can affect adolescent communication and can cause adolescents to develop anxiety and tension. Schools can promote self-expression in the form of music as part of their mental health education efforts. Music can be an important tool for individual self-expression, helping students to enrich themselves, especially in group music interactions, through the verbal and melodic elements of music, and in music therapy, through musical activities that address the discomfort of some student’s psychological disorders.Validation mainly refers to the ability of the research variables to accurately and effectively reflect the measures selected through the questionnaire in the survey study to achieve the research objectives. In this study, the validity of the questionnaire was tested using the spherical chi-square test (BTS) for the collected samples. In general, the validity of the questionnaire was evaluated using the KMO index, and the evaluation criteria are:KMO>0.9 means very suitable; 0.8<KMO<0.9 means very suitable; 0.7≤KMO<0.8 is more suitable, when KMO<0.6 is generally regarded as the validity does not meet the standard, as shown in Figure 7.Figure 7
KMO test.Before the implementation of the experimental music therapy program, the student’s current learning stress was firstly assessed and scored by a questionnaire, and the scores of the three groups’ learning stress were calculated and recorded. The music therapy program was started with different rhythms, and the experimental group of elementary school students was given music with strong and fast rhythms as the main method of after-school music therapy and counseling after the experimental group of elementary school students finished their normal study tasks, the music teacher would arrange the group of students to listen to some music with strong and fast rhythms to relieve stress and arrange corresponding stress reduction and counseling work according to the music theme content. After the students in the second group completed their normal learning tasks, the music teacher arranged for the students in the second group to listen to some slow rhythmic and calm music to relieve their stress and arranged for the corresponding stress-reducing counseling work for the music theme content. The students in the control group did not have any special arrangements for music therapy programs and followed their normal study tasks and plans.Fifty-three percent of the elementary school students tested felt that the current stage of the study was very stressful and that academic life was very hard. Twenty-five percent felt that the pressure of learning at this stage was relatively high. Eleven percent of the elementary school students felt that the study pressure was average and within the range of tolerable pressure. There are also 11% of primary school students who think that the current study pressure is relatively low and does not affect their daily life; however, almost no primary school students think that the current school workload is not a pressure for them, as shown in Figure8.Figure 8
Mean scores of pre- and posttests of the four states of self-identity.As shown in the figure, overall, before the group music therapy intervention, the seven group members had smaller differences in mean scores for sameness acquisition and delay, higher scores for early sameness closure status compared to the first two, and highest mean scores for sameness diffusion status. After the 10 group music therapy interventions, all seven group members had higher posttest mean score values for all four sameness status types than the pretest. The difference between the mean scores of homogeneity acquisition and early homogeneity closure was small; the mean score of homogeneity delay was slightly higher compared to the first two, and the mean score of the posttest of homogeneity diffusion remained the highest. When comparing the mean scores of the pre- and posttests of each state, the values of the same sex early closure did not change much, the differences between the mean scores of same-sex acquisition and same-sex diffusion were similar, both were about 2.2, and the mean scores of same-sex delays were the most variable.Group music therapy can improve the mood of adolescents with mood disorders and enhance their ability to manage their emotions. Music therapy, as an auditory art, is known as the art of expressing “emotions.” Music can influence people’s emotions, and people in the adolescent stage are highly receptive to music and have a unique aesthetic approach to music. Even if the members of this group are of similar age and living environment, their perception of music emotion is still individual. Mainly select primary school students in grades 5-6. On the one hand, students in this age group are more mature in mind; on the other hand, students in grades 5-6 will face the pressure of entering a junior high school, so they will feel more academic pressure.In the initial stage, some members thought that fresh music would make them feel happier, while others prefer rock or heavy metal music, believing that their emotional state was immediately elevated several levels when they heard similar music. As the group progressed, group members gradually recognized and accepted their own and others’ different levels of perception of musical emotions and could slowly begin to discuss and communicate with others. The group would also give the therapist suggestions for the next use of music during a particular activity and was able to reach an agreement. For example, when using a particular piece of music, adolescents with more anxious states can achieve relative emotional stability, and adolescents with more depressed states can slightly raise their moods. In an instrumental ensemble activity, group members express their emotions by playing different instruments and can use the playing priorities to identify emotional highs and lows and control their emotional states.


## 5. Conclusion

The results of this study prove that the positive psychology-oriented mental health education curriculum based on music activities is very suitable for primary and secondary school students, especially those who are about to graduate. The mental health education course based on music activities realizes the application value of positive psychology in mental health education in primary and secondary schools and flexibly uses a variety of related theories to promote the positive emotional experience of primary school students. Therefore, the preparation of this course has certain applicability. However, in real life, there are many types of music styles. Due to various limitations, this paper only distinguishes music according to two forms: slow rhythm and strong and fast rhythm. This is not a complete expression of music style and needs further in-depth study. In terms of experimental control, although this paper analyzes the differences between the experimental group and the control group very comprehensively, it does not consider the differences in the degree of music acceptance of indicators such as gender and age, which is a shortcoming of this experimental study. In future work, scholars can conduct in-depth and detailed research on this basis.



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*Source: 8370682-2022-07-08.xml*