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Tuned In: The effectiveness for young adults of a group emotion regulation program using music listening

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Psychology of Music

Published online on

Abstract

This article presents a description and pilot evaluation of Tuned In, a brief group intervention using music listening to teach young people emotional awareness and regulation skills. The program is underpinned by a two-dimensional (valence and arousal) model of emotion and activities to enhance participants’ emotional responses while listening to music. The four-session program was piloted with 51 university students aged 18–25 years (67% female). Approximately a third of the sample was above the normal range for depression, anxiety or stress symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to Tuned In or a wait-list control. Tuned In involved groups of around eight participants with two psychologist facilitators. Tuned In participants experienced greater improvement in emotional awareness and clarity and total emotion regulation than controls. Weekly ratings pooled for the entire sample (after the wait-listed participants had completed Tuned In) indicated significant improvements over time in emotional awareness, ability to name emotions, and ability to regulate emotions. Ratings of engagement were high and the overall attendance rate was 98%. Tuned In shows promise as a brief emotion regulation intervention for young adults.