Effectiveness of music therapy in enhancing empathy and emotional recognition in adolescents with intellectual disabilities

Music therapy has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating symptoms of mental disorders, prompting an investigation into its impact on emotion regulation and empathy levels in adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities. This study involved 120 adolescents diagnosed with mild intellectual disabilities, divided into experimental and control groups. The research evaluated empathy levels and the ability to recognize emotions using photographs and pictograms before and after the experiment. Significant improvements were noted in the experimental group, particularly in empathy towards elderly individuals (p <= 0.05), strangers (p <= 0.05), cartoon and video characters (p <= 0.05), and animals (p <= 0.05). Music therapy proved effective in enhancing empathy towards peers (p <= 0.01), strangers (p <= 0.05), elderly individuals (p <= 0.05), animals (p <= 0.05), and cartoon characters (p <= 0.05). Limited changes were observed in the control group, primarily in the category of empathy towards strangers (p <= 0.05). The study suggests music therapy as a recommendable intervention for adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities, enhancing their ability to recognize diverse emotions. The study significantly contributes to the theoretical understanding of music therapy's role in emotional development among adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities, highlighting the nuanced influence of music selection on therapeutic outcomes. The study acknowledges and briefly discusses the ethical considerations involved in conducting research with adolescents, emphasizing the importance of ethical guidelines in working with vulnerable populations.