The Effect of Binaural Beats on Mood and Emotional Self-Regulation in Individuals with Generalized Anxiety
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Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of binaural beat stimulation on mood and emotional self-regulation in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest–follow-up design with a control group. Participants were individuals with generalized anxiety disorder who referred to Behjou Clinic in Tehran, Iran, in 2024. 36 eligible participants were selected and randomly assigned to a binaural-beat intervention group or a control group. The intervention consisted of 15-Hz beta-range binaural beat stimulation using 240-Hz and 255-Hz carrier tones, delivered through headphones for 20 minutes per session, three sessions per week, over four weeks. Data were collected using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and MANOVA in SPSS-27.
Findings: Binaural beat stimulation significantly improved mood state, with significant time (F = 180.5, p = 0.001, η² = 0.891) and time × group effects (F = 34.3, p = 0.001, η² = 0.610). Positive affect increased from 20.7 ± 2.73 to 32.4 ± 1.62, while negative affect decreased from 43.4 ± 4.85 to 31.3 ± 4.94. Emotional self-regulation also improved significantly, with significant time (F = 715.2, p = 0.001, η² = 0.970) and time × group effects (F = 30.4, p = 0.001, η² = 0.580). Improvements were maintained at follow-up.
Conclusion: Binaural beat stimulation improved mood and emotional self-regulation in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.
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