The effect of Islamic music on the psychological well-being among nursing students in a public university

Abstract

Introduction: In Malaysia, universities serve as centers where young individuals pursue academic success, yet often grapple with mental health issues, seeking solace in music. Notably, older students (aged 20 and above) exhibit notably higher depression and anxiety scores. Considering the permissible stance on music therapy in Islamic law, as endorsed by Imam Syafi’e, and supported by renowned scholars such as Al-Razi, Farabi, and Ibn Sina, its alignment with Islamic values warrants its evidenced-based intervention. Its potential applicability in educational and clinical settings will benefit people in emotional distress due to academic burden or medical treatment, underscores its relevance for spiritual and mental health approaches. Research objective: To examine the level of psychological well-being of students in a public university before, immediately after the music therapy, and one-month intervals after the daily Islamic music therapy. Methodology and Methods: This is a quasi-experimental repeated measures study involving a single group of 46 undergraduate students in IIUM screened for psychological distress, who participated in daily listening sessions of Islamic music intervention for six weeks. Each listening session lasted 15 minutes, and participants were required to adhere to the study protocol and record their activities in an assigned logbook for monitoring purposes. The levels of psychological well-being were assessed before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the intervention using the DASS-21 questionnaire. One- way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to test the research hypotheses. Results: The total DASS-21 score, as well as its categories of depression, anxiety, and stress, significantly decreased after the intervention and remained reduced during the one-month follow-up period without intervention (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the reduction of the total DASS-21 score and its categories between the post- intervention and one-month follow-up periods (p>0.05). Nevertheless, participants did not experience an increase in psychological distress during the one-month follow-up period despite not listening to Islamic music intervention. Discussion and conclusion: The effects of Islamic music on psychological distress, as observed in this study, were discussed alongside the CODAModel to deepen understanding of its role in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression among participants. The familiarity gained from daily listening to Islamic music over six weeks contributed significantly to coping potential and relaxation promotion. This study contributes to the existing knowledge on the benefits of culturally specific interventions, particularly for the young population in Malaysia and other Muslim-majority countries. Nurses interested in mental health and alternative therapies can utilize Islamic music listening as a spiritually and culturally sensitive intervention to enhance patients’ psychological well-being in hospital settings. Keywords: Islamic music, psychological well-being, depression, anxiety, stress