Music therapy for children and adolescents with mood disorders

The Intervention Effect and Potential Neural Mechanisms of Music Therapy in Children and Adolescents with NSSI

Not applicable Interventional Shanghai Mental Health Center · NCT06756698

This study is testing if adding music therapy to regular treatment can help children and teens with mood disorders and self-injury feel better.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment54 (estimated)
Ages12 Years to 18 Years
SexAll
SponsorShanghai Mental Health Center Academic / other
Locations1 site (Shanghai, Shanghai)
Trial IDNCT06756698 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study evaluates the effectiveness of music therapy combined with conventional treatment for children and adolescents suffering from mood disorders and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Participants will be randomly assigned to either a conventional treatment group receiving dialectical behavior therapy or a music therapy group that incorporates music sessions alongside standard care. The study will utilize various methods, including questionnaires, neuroimaging, and physiological measurements, to assess the impact of the interventions on emotional and neural responses. The goal is to understand the potential neural mechanisms behind the effectiveness of music therapy in this population.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are right-handed children and adolescents born and raised in China, diagnosed with anxiety or depressive disorders, and have a history of self-harm behaviors.

Not a fit: Patients with psychotic disorders, severe organic brain diseases, or recent suicidal ideation may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide a novel therapeutic approach to improve emotional well-being in children and adolescents with mood disorders.

How similar studies have performed: While music therapy has been explored in various contexts, this specific approach combining neuroimaging and physiological monitoring in children with mood disorders is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Right-handed;
* Born and raised in China, with Chinese as the only native language;
* Voluntary participation, with the consent of the family members of patients under 18 years old, and signed the informed consent form;
* Meet the diagnostic criteria of DSM-5 anxiety disorder or depressive disorder;
* There have been two or more self-harm behaviors in the past six months.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Meet the diagnostic criteria of DSM-5 psychotic disorder, manic episode, autism spectrum disorder, mental retardation, tic disorder, substance abuse and other mental illnesses;
* Severe organic brain disease;
* Hearing loss or loss of music-related pleasure;
* Those who have clear suicidal ideation, attempt and behavior in the past month.

Where this trial is running

Shanghai, Shanghai

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Mood Disorders in Children and AdolescentsNSSImusic therapychildren and adolescentmood disordershyperscanning
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.