Music Therapy Based on Educational Theories and Its Impact on Student Mental Health in Zhumadian, China

This study aims to investigate the application of music therapy and its impact on the mental health of students in colleges and universities in Zhumadian City. As a large population province in China, Henan Province, its college and university students are facing great learning pressure and challenges of further education, and students' mental health problems are becoming more and more prominent. Based on affective education theory and social learning theory, this study analyzes the effects of three factors, instrument choice, treatment intensity and cognitive regulation, on mental health. Ultimately, it helps colleges and universities create an environment with a high degree of support for mental health development. Music therapy, as a non-pharmacological intervention, has the potential to address students' psychological stress. This paper adopts a quantitative research method, using spss for analysis, combined with an online questionnaire to collect feedback from 404 students from three colleges and universities in Zhumadian City, Henan Province, focusing on analyzing the impact of factors such as musical instrument choices, music therapy intensity, and cognitive regulation on students' mental health. The questionnaire survey of the students found that appropriate musical instrument selection and therapy intensity significantly reduced anxiety levels. Reduced academic stress and increased their mental toughness. This finding provides empirical evidence for integrating music therapy in student mental health support strategies in colleges and universities in Zhumadian City, which has important practical significance and guiding value.