A comprehensive meta-analysis highlights the potential of music-based interventions to alleviate test anxiety in students, emphasising the importance of session length and active engagement, though evidence quality remains variable.
A new meta-analysis in Frontiers in Psychology suggests that music-based interventions can significantly ease test anxiety in students, adding to growing evidence that structured music use may help young people manage exam-related stress. The review pooled 10 randomised controlled trials involving 681 students from China, Türkiye, the United States and Nigeria, and found a clear reduction in anxiety scores versus control conditions. The authors said the benefit appeared stronger when programmes lasted at least eight weeks, when sessions ran for 60 minutes or more, and when students took part in active music-making rather than only listening. The findings are particularly relevant for schools and universities looking for low-cost, non-drug options that can complement existing mental health support.
The review also highlights an important caveat: the evidence base remains uneven. Many of the trials were small, the interventions varied widely, and blinding was largely impractical, which raises the risk of bias. Still, sensitivity testing did not change the overall direction of effect, and an adjustment for publication bias left the main result intact. The authors argue that music should not be seen as a substitute for counselling or other evidence-based care, but as a practical adjunct that may fit well into school wellbeing programmes, especially when anxiety is linked specifically to exams rather than to a broader anxiety disorder.
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