Different arts-based interventions for depression and anxiety in college students: a network meta-analysis of rigorous randomized controlled trials

Among arts-based interventions for college students, integrating music into cognitive-behavioral therapy may offer the greatest benefit for anxiety, while standalone music therapy appears most effective for depression. These findings support the adoption of music-based programs in university settings and underscore the need for large-scale, rigorously designed trials to confirm these effects and optimize intervention strategies.