234. Exploring pathways for integrating mental health education into piano teaching within university music curricula

Abstract Background Student mental well-being is a central concern in higher education. Music education, particularly piano instruction, with its inherent demands for emotional expression, sustained focus, and perseverance, is a natural vehicle for latent mental health education. However, current university piano curricula predominantly follow a "technocratic paradigm," leaving their rich psychological resources underutilized; a significant practical gap exists in aligning course objectives with mental health education. This study aimed to construct and empirically test a set of actionable pathways for integrating mental health education into the existing piano teaching framework, thereby providing an operational model and empirical evidence for the educative function of arts courses. Methods The study employed a "design-implementation-evaluation" framework to conduct a 16-week teaching practice within a university's "Piano Fundamentals" course. It developed and implemented an integrated pathway named "Holistic Piano Learning (HPL)," comprising three interconnected core modules: Module One: Emotional Interpretation and Connection. Guided students to first engage in emotional word association and personal experience connection when practicing specific pieces like "Autumn Moon over a Calm Lake" and "Nocturne," followed by technical refinement. Module 2: Process-Oriented Practice Strategies. Introduced "micro-goal setting" and "progress journals," shifting focus from outcome-based evaluation to minor advancements and self-acceptance during practice. Module Three: Performance Practice in a Safe Environment. Organizing "non-judgmental salons" emphasizes sharing practice insights and physical/emotional experiences during performance, rather than solely evaluating technical proficiency. Effectiveness is assessed through multi-dimensional data collection including teaching observations, student practice logs, pre/post psychological scales, focus group interviews, the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and the Learning Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Results Post-intervention analysis yielded key findings. Regarding psychological adjustment, students in the HPL pathway showed a significantly greater reduction in GHQ-12 total scores compared to the traditional instruction class (F = 7.23, p<.01), with notable improvements in "social functioning" and "anxiety/insomnia" subscales. Academic self-efficacy scores also increased significantly (p<.05). Qualitative analysis uncovered the underlying mechanisms. First, Emotional Concretization and Channeling: Most students (~85%) reported that "infusing" technique with emotional meaning "transformed" practice from mechanical repetition into a meaningful emotional outlet. Second, Redefining "Failure": The emphasis on process recording helped approximately 78% of students develop higher tolerance for mistakes and reduced anxiety. Finally, Establishing Community Support: The "non-judgmental salons" fostered a low-competition atmosphere, with 70% feeling understood and supported, alleviating performance anxiety. Classroom observations corroborated more positive teacher-student interactions and greater willingness to share struggles in the experimental class. Discussion This study demonstrates that through systematic instructional design, piano courses can effectively serve as vehicles for mental health education beyond skill acquisition. The success of the HPL pathway lies in translating psychological principles (e. g., mindfulness, growth mindset, safe-base theory) into concrete pedagogical actions, thereby cultivating emotional literacy and psychological resilience alongside technical skills. This exploration offers dual implications. For curriculum theory, it provides a concrete example of how arts courses can achieve the integrated goal of "value-shaping, knowledge-imparting, and capacity-building." For teaching practice, it offers a transferable toolkit for frontline instructors. Future research should explore the generalizability and adaptation of this pathway across different instrumental teachings and student populations, and conduct longitudinal studies to assess its long-term effects.