Personalized music using the ISO principle to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
An ISO Principle-Based Music Intervention for Reducing Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
This project tests whether personalized playlists that gradually change musical mood (the ISO principle) can help adults experiencing work-, family-, or other-related stress, anxiety, or depression.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 2000 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 60 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Shanghai Mental Health Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Beijing, Beijing Municipality and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07055061 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The trial randomly assigns adults with work-, family-, or other-related stress, anxiety, or depression to receive a personalized ISO-principle music intervention or to a control condition. Intervention participants receive tailored playlists whose emotional characteristics are gradually modified to help users move toward a calmer or more desired mood, while control participants do not receive a music intervention during the same period. Outcomes are measured with self-report questionnaires of stress, emotional state, and overall well‑being at baseline and follow-up. The approach aims to develop a low-cost, non-invasive behavioral tool for emotion regulation.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with stress, anxiety, or depression related to work, family, or other life sources who meet the study's education requirement (at least vocational college) and do not have current psychiatric medication use, recent surgery, hearing impairments, pregnancy, or breastfeeding.
Not a fit: People with current psychiatric disorders, those taking psychiatric medications, individuals with hearing impairments, and pregnant or breastfeeding women are excluded and are unlikely to benefit from this intervention as tested.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could offer an accessible, non‑invasive way to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression using personalized music playlists.
How similar studies have performed: Previous music-therapy and ISO-principle based interventions have shown promising but mixed results for mood and stress reduction in smaller trials.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: \- Minimum of a secondary specialized school degree (vocational college) or higher Exclusion Criteria: * Self-reported current or recent use of medication or history of surgical treatment * Self-reported history of psychiatric disorders * Self-reported hearing impairments * Female participants who are self-reported currently pregnant or breastfeeding
Where this trial is running
Beijing, Beijing Municipality and 1 other locations
- The Department of Psychology of Tsinghua University — Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China (Completed)
- Tsinghua University — Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Dan Zhang
- Email: dzhang@tsinghua.edu.cn
- Phone: 8613810433221
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.