REVIEW article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Autism
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1611182
Effect of music therapy on children with autism spectrum disorders in the Chinese population: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
- 2Xiang'an Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of music therapy (MT) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Chinese population through a meta-analysis. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Setting: We performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines. A systematic and comprehensive search was conducted across five databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Chinese Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang Database, up to the end of September 2024, that administered MT to children with ASD. Continuous variables were reported as standardized mean differences (SMD) accompanied by 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All analyses were carried out using the Stata statistical software package version 16.0. Results: Twenty-three studies were included in our meta-analysis. The results showed that MT significantly decreased the total ATEC (autism treatment evaluation checklist) score (SMD = -2.52, 95% CI: -3.69 ~ -1.35, P < 0.001), ABC (autism behavior checklist) (SMD = -1.07, 95% CI: -1.52 ~ -0.61, P < 0.001), and CARS (childhood autism rating scale) score (SMD = -1.50, 95% CI: -2.26 ~ -0.74, P < 0.001). Specifically, MT significantly improved communication skills (SMD = -1.10, 95% CI: -1.54 ~ -0.66, P < 0.001), social interaction skills (SMD = -1.69, 95% CI: -2.59 ~ -0.78, P < 0.001), language ability (SMD = -1.15, 95% CI: -1.56 ~ -0.74, P < 0.001), and cognitive function (SMD = -1.80, 95% CI: -2.73 ~ -0.87, P < 0.001) compared to the control group.Conclusion: MT can improve communication skills, social interaction skills, language ability, and cognitive function in children with ASD disorders in the Chinese population.
Keywords: Music Therapy, Children, Autism Spectrum, Meta-analysis, ATEC, Cars
Received: 13 Apr 2025; Accepted: 26 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, Wang, Li and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Su Li, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, Fujian Province, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.