The Effect of Listening to Music on Stress Reduction among Twelfth-Grade Students

Kanita Chanmahapon; Wanlop Atsariyasing; Natee Viravan; Panida Yomaboot; Tikumporn Hosiri

Authors

Kanita Chanmahapon Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7492-022X
Wanlop Atsariyasing Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8868-8302
Natee Viravan Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9002-027X
Panida Yomaboot Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0161-9708
Tikumporn Hosiri Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8489-3106

Keywords:

stress, music listening, students, adolescents, relax

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effects of listening to music on stress reduction among twelfth-grade students.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted. Of 116 twelfth-grade students recruited from a public school in Bangkok, Thailand, 82 completed the study. During a 20-minute period, an intervention group (47 students) listened to music drawing upon nature sounds, whereas a control group (35 students) read about stress reduction techniques. Measurements were made of heart rates and stress levels (using the Thai Stress Test [TST] and a 5-point Likert scale [stress 5-PL]) at baseline and immediately after the activities. A t-test and Chi-squared test for linear-by-linear association were used to compare changes in the stress parameters.

Results: Analysis of the baseline and post-intervention data revealed that music listening significantly reduced heart rates and scores for TST and stress 5-PL (p = < 0.001, 0.016, and < 0.001, respectively). However, reading about stress reduction produced no significant lowering of heart rates or scores for TST and stress 5-PL (p = 0.057, 1.000, and 0.070, respectively). In a comparison between the groups, there were no significant differences in the reductions in heart rates or scores for TST and stress 5-PL (p = 0.490, 0.182, and 0.199, respectively).

Conclusions: Listening to music for 20 minutes significantly decreased both physical and psychological stress. Nevertheless, the reduction did not differ from that achieved by reading about stress reduction.

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