Teaching music, shaping care: the role of music-based educational interventions in postpartum depression reproductive awareness among female university students

This study examined the role of music-based educational interventions in enhancing postpartum depression awareness and related psychosocial outcomes among female university students in China. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study was conducted across selected public and private universities and involved 350 female undergraduate and postgraduate students. Participants were divided into intervention-exposed and non-exposed groups based on their participation in a structured music-integrated educational program focused on reproductive mental health and postpartum depression awareness. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire measuring postpartum depression awareness, reproductive health awareness, mental health literacy, emotional regulation, and psychological resilience. Comparative analyses and multivariate regression were employed to assess the effectiveness of the intervention while controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results indicated that students exposed to the music-based educational intervention demonstrated significantly higher levels of postpartum depression awareness, reproductive health awareness, mental health literacy, emotional regulation, and psychological resilience compared to their non-exposed counterparts (p < 0.001). Regression analysis identified intervention exposure as the strongest predictor of postpartum depression awareness. The findings suggest that music-based educational interventions offer a culturally resonant, non-stigmatizing, and effective approach to promoting early reproductive mental health awareness among female university populations. Integrating music-based mental health education within university settings may contribute to preventive strategies aimed at reducing the long-term burden of postpartum depression.