This study investigated the effects of a positive psychology–based music therapy program on self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and affective well-being among older adults attending adult day-care centers, and explored participants' lived experiences ...
This study investigated the effects of a positive psychology–based music therapy program on self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and affective well-being among older adults attending adult day-care centers, and explored participants' lived experiences of program participation.
A convergent mixed-methods design with parallel implementation was employed. The quantitative component used a nonequivalent control group pretest–posttest design with a total of 32 older adults (experimental group: n = 16; control group: n = 16). Participants were recruited from a single adult day-care center, and group allocation was determined by day-of-week attendance (Saturday program participants vs. non-Saturday users). The experimental group received a structured group intervention delivered over 12 weeks (12 weekly sessions; 50 minutes per session), grounded in the PERMA model (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment). Sessions integrated music storytelling, Voice Movement Therapy (VMT; coordinated vocalization with gentle movement), and group singing, with PERMA elements applied cyclically. Outcomes were assessed one week before and one week after the intervention using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, a study-specific 7-item short form derived from the Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II), and the Korean Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Nonparametric tests were conducted to examine within-group pre–post changes (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) and between-group differences in change scores (Mann–Whitney U test).
For the qualitative component, individual interviews with purposively selected participants (n = 5), participant observation notes, and written materials were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis informed by phenomenological procedures. Quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated at the interpretation stage to enhance analytic rigor and generate meta-inferences.
Compared with the control group, the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in self-esteem (M = 2.44 → 3.44 vs. 2.42 → 2.39; z = −4.824, p < .001) and significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms (M = 0.98 → 0.54 vs. 0.96 → 1.32; z = −4.411, p < .001). Positive affect increased more in the experimental group than in the control group (M = 2.69 → 3.67 vs. 2.74 → 2.65; z = −4.193, p < .001), and an overall affect index (positive affect combined with reverse-scored negative affect) also improved significantly more in the experimental group (M = 2.83 → 3.52 vs. 2.94 → 2.99; z = −3.775, p < .001). Between-group differences in negative affect change were not statistically significant (z = −1.021, p = .307).
Qualitative findings converged with the quantitative results and illustrated a multi-stage change process characterized by (a) a shift in therapeutic engagement from psychological safety to voluntary participation and self-discovery, (b) meaning reconstruction through culturally shared memories, (c) embodied self-expression via voice–body integration, (d) enhanced self-awareness and emotional recovery, and (e) strengthened relationships and social connectedness.
Overall, a PERMA-informed, culturally grounded music therapy program integrating music storytelling and VMT was associated with statistically significant improvements in self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and affective well-being, with a large within-group effect for depressive symptoms in the experimental group (r = 0.80). These mixed-methods findings suggest that narrative- and embodiment-based musical experiences may support well-being through pathways consistent with positive psychology. Replication in larger, randomized, multi-site trials and further psychometric validation of the short-form depression measure are warranted.
Keywords: PERMA; music therapy; music storytelling; Voice Movement Therapy (VMT); self-esteem; depressive symptoms; affective well-being; older adults; adult day-care centers