The Effect of Music Therapy Interventions on Depression Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Lagos State: A Quasi-Experimental Study

This study empirically investigates the effect of structured music therapy interventions on depression levels among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. Adolescent depression is a growing public health concern in Nigerian urban environments, exacerbated by academic pressure, family instability, and socioeconomic stress. While pharmacological and psychological interventions are well documented, evidence on music therapy as a complementary treatment for adolescent depression in sub-Saharan African school settings remains limited. This quasi-experimental study employs a pre-test and post-test control group design, randomly assigning 80 adolescents aged 13 to 17 with clinically screened depressive symptoms to either a ten-week group music therapy intervention or a waitlist control condition. The Beck Depression Inventory and the Children's Depression Rating Scale are administered at three time points: baseline, post-intervention, and six-week follow-up. Group music therapy sessions incorporate receptive listening, lyric analysis, song composition, and rhythmic improvisation. Data are analysed using mixed-model ANOVA. The study is grounded in music therapy clinical research, adolescent mental health literature, and recent empirical trials from African school health contexts. Findings will provide the first randomised-equivalent evidence on music therapy's efficacy for adolescent depression in Nigeria, informing school counselling and public health policy frameworks. Keywords: Music therapy, adolescent depression, secondary school, Lagos State, quasi-experimental.