After participating in 13 sessions of the group music therapy, alpha waves measured from eight
different sites were consistently present for the experimental group (p ¼ .006e.045) than the control
group, revealing that the participants in the music therapy may have experienced more joyful emotions
throughout the sessions. The experimental group also showed improved cognitive function (F ¼ 13.46,
p ¼ .001) and positive behavior (social competence, social interest & personal neatness) while their
negative behaviors was significantly less than those of the control group (F ¼ 24.04, p < .001).
Conclusion: The group music therapy used in this study was an effective intervention for improving
emotional relaxation, cognitive processing abilities along with positive behavioral changes in patients
with chronic schizophrenia. Our results can be useful for establishing intervention strategies toward
psychiatric rehabilitation for those who suffer from chronic mental illnesses.