Randomized controlled evaluation of the effect of music therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy on social anxiety symptoms

This study examined the effects of music therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy on social anxiety in a sample of schooling adolescents in south-east Nigeria. We adopted a randomized controlled trial design involving a treatment group and a waiting-list control group. A total of 155 schooling adolescents served as the study sample. The sample size was ascertained using GPower software. A 12-week MTCBP manual for social anxiety was employed to deliver the intervention. Data analyses were completed using repeated measures analysis of variance. We found that social anxiety significantly decreased in the treatment group over time, whereas the waitlist control group showed no significant changes in social anxiety. Therefore, music therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy was significantly beneficial in decreasing social anxiety symptoms of the treatment group. The follow-up assessment performed after 3 months revealed a significant reduction in social anxiety for the treatment group. The study, therefore, suggests that the use of music therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy is significant in reducing social anxiety among schooling adolescents.