The association between music therapy and mental health in Chinese university students: a moderated mediation model of self-evaluation and gender

This research examines the effects of music therapy participation on mental health among Chinese university students, focusing on the mediating role of self-evaluation and the moderating role of gender. A moderated mediation model was proposed to explain how and for whom music therapy exerts its benefits. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,000 students recruited through multi-stage random sampling from four universities across China. Participants completed the Music Therapy Participation Scale (MTPS), the Self-Evaluation Scale (SES), and the Mental Health Status Questionnaire (MHS-Q). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated that higher music therapy participation was significantly associated with better mental health (β = −0.30, p < 0.001). Self-evaluation partially mediated this relationship (indirect effect β = −0.11, 95% CI [−0.14, −0.07]). Gender moderated the direct path, with a stronger effect observed for female students (interaction β = 0.09, p = 0.002). The findings suggest that music therapy improves mental health both directly and through enhanced self-evaluation, with gender shaping the strength of the direct benefit. These insights support the integration of tailored, gender-sensitive music therapy programs into university mental health services to promote student well-being.