The impact of two methods of music therapy and relaxation on the aggression in high school students.

Introduction: Highly aggressive individuals experience more problems and pressure which affect their personal, professional, educational and physical health. This study aimed to determine the effect of combined relaxation and music therapy on aggression of male high school students. Materials and Methods: This is an experimental study on two experimental and control groups. The statistical population of this study included all of students of the high schools of Ashkanan selected through cluster sampling. Of the six high schools in Ashkanan, one was randomly selected. Among the school's first grade classes, two were randomly selected. They were divided into the experimental (30) and control (30) groups randomly. First, the two groups filled out AGQ (pretest). Then, the intervention programs were carried out through 10 sessions of music and relaxation therapy, consisting of imagery, music, progressive muscle and breathing relaxation for the experimental group but the control group did not receive any intervention. In the next step, the two groups filled out AGQ again as posttest. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. In order to prevent any contact among the groups, the sessions were conducted during school holidays. Results: The results of the analysis showed that combined relaxation and music therapy is effective on aggression of male students. The aggression mean scores of the experimental group was significantly reduced as compared to the control group (P<0.001). Conclusion: The use of combined relaxation and music therapy is effective on reducing aggression in male students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]