Well-Being Sciences Review

Effect of music therapy on blood pressure and quality of life among individuals with essential hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Zewen Li, Yi Zhang — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Essential hypertension requires lifelong treatment, which is ineffective and has many side effects with medications alone, thus, a non-invasive, low-cost non-pharmacological therapy to improve treatment rates and compliance is needed. To investigate the effects of music therapy on blood pressure levels, negative emotions, and quality of life in patients with essential hypertension, a systematic review and meta-analysis based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses‌ (PRISMA) guidelines were performed in the present study. Randomized controlled trials about the effect of music therapy on essential hypertension were retrieved by a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, VIP, and China Biology Medicine (CBM) databases from inception to February 2025. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias for inclusion in the study. Statistical analyses were performed using Cochrane software Revman 5.3 software and ADDIS 1.16.5 software. A total of 14 studies involving 1472 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that music therapy reduced systolic blood pressure (mean difference [MD] = -11.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -13.17 to -9.20, P < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (MD = -7.06, 95% CI: -9.14 to-4.97, P < 0.05), and alleviated anxiety (MD = 2.15, 95% CI: -2.74 to-1.57, P < 0.05) and depression (MD = -3.66, 95% CI: -5.88 to -1.45, P < 0.05) in patients with essential hypertension. Network meta-analysis indicated that Chinese traditional medicine five-element music (59%) was more effective than other types of music (41%) in lowering systolic blood pressure, but less effective than other music (73%) in lowering diastolic blood pressure. No serious adverse events were reported in any trial. In conclusion, music therapy effectively lowered blood pressure levels, improved the quality of life in patients with hypertension, and had positive efficacy in relieving anxiety and depression.

The psychology of digital legacy: Conceptual transformation, mechanisms, and implications for well-being

Hui Fa — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Digital legacy refers to the digital traces individuals leave behind that continue to represent their identities, memories, and relationships after death. This review examines digital legacy from psychological perspectives, focusing on conceptual transformation, underlying mechanisms, and its impact on well-being. Drawing on traditional legacy motives, it integrates existential, relational, and narrative identity theories with digital contexts to explore how digital legacy shapes meaning for both individuals and communities. A temporal-relational framework comprising three phases (creation, co-existence, and reception) is proposed to conceptualize digital legacy as a dynamic psychological ecosystem in which the well-being of legacy creators and receivers is continuously constructed through interaction, reflection, and remembrance. The review highlights both benefits, such as symbolic immortality and emotional continuity, and risks, including anxiety, authenticity loss, and emotional entrapment. Finally, it outlines theoretical and practical directions emphasizing digital legacy, guided co-creation, and ethical design for psychologically healthy engagement with digital legacy in the digital age.

Whose values are artificial intelligence models aligning with? How culture shapes people's normative expectations of artificial intelligence value

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), growing attention has been paid to the role of culture in shaping AI values, yet existing research has rarely provided a systematic synthesis of both human universals and cultural differences in people's normative expectations of AI. Our study reveals both human universals and cultural differences among AI values. The findings indicate widespread cross-cultural commonality in the pursuit of values such as safety and universalism, as well as shared ethical standards concerning privacy, transparency, fairness, justice, and accountability. Moreover, cultural differences are evident in attitudes, behaviors, and policy orientations toward the application and regulation of AI across cultural contexts. In addition, we discuss the vital role of implicit cultural beliefs and cultural norms in the ethical supervision and practical applications of AI systems in human society. Future work should further explore developing and iterating algorithms for diverse culturally informed application scenarios, thereby both promoting the globalization of AI systems and meeting diverse cultural psychological demands to ultimately improve the well-being of individuals and groups and humanity as a whole.

RETRACTED: Engagement of young Chinese adults born between 1990 and 2000 with the culture of traditional Chinese music: A quantitative study

Ming Gao, Anna Liddle, Alice Dias Lopes — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

The Editor-in-Chief of Well-Being Sciences Review, in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
Retraction Guidelines (Version 3, August 2025), hereby retracts the above-cited article (Gao et al., 2025).
An internal investigation, including handwriting verification, email records, and written statements from the affected
authors, has provided sufficient evidence that two co-authors were unaware of their authorship designation. This
constitutes “fictitious authorship” and “authorship that cannot be verified,” both of which undermine the integrity of
the published record (COPE: “When to retract an article”)(COPE Council, 2025).
Consequently, the journal no longer has confidence in the authorship or accountability of the work and considers retraction
the only appropriate course of action. This decision has been approved by the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher. The
online version of the article has been water-marked “RETRACTED” and remains freely accessible. The metadata (title,
author names, affiliations, and DOI) are retained to preserve transparency of the scholarly record.
The journal apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused.

The effect of textual language and emojis on others' emotion recognition in social behaviour

Yuewen Qin, Xuerui Han — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

With the increasing development of digital technology, social media and instant messaging tools have become integral to people's daily lives. Emojis, as a non-verbal addition to textual language, have enriched the emotional depth and expressiveness of digital communication. However, existing research largely overlooks the specific ways emojis contribute to enhancing the receiver's emotional understanding and accurate interpretation, leaving a gap in understanding how text and emojis interact in digital emotional communication. Using experimental design, this study explored the effects of texts and emojis on emotion recognition and communication among online users (N = 40). Results showed that while pure textual language could convey emotional intent, it often led to varied interpretations among receivers (Friedman test for emotional valence across 10 text items: χ² (9) = 287.36, P < 0.001, Kendall's W ≈ 0.80; arousal and dominance ns: χ² (9) = 10.01, P = 0.35, W ≈ 0.03; χ² (9) = 4.72, P = 0.86, W ≈ 0.01. Negative texts were rated as more unpleasant than positive ones (mean valence ≈ 7.45 - 7.80 vs. 2.68 - 5.93 on the 1 - 9 scale). In contrast, the addition of emojis clarified the emotional tone of the message, reducing ambiguity and increasing emotional resonance between the sender and receiver (valence: χ² (9) = 284.02, P < 0.001, W ≈ 0.79; arousal: χ² (9) = 267.46, P < 0.001, W ≈ 0.74; dominance ns: χ² (9) = 10.70, P = 0.30, W ≈ 0.03). Overall, emoji-text combinations produced large effects on valence and arousal (W ≈ 0.74 - 0.79), whereas dominance showed no significant change. Our findings underscore the value of emojis in enhancing digital communication and provide practical insights for improving the emotional effectiveness of social media and messaging platforms.

Academic grit and academic engagement: The mediating effects of self-efficacy and educational expectations

Yilei Wu, Xi Chen, Wanru Lin — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

This study investigates the relationship between academic grit and academic engagement, with a focus on the mediating roles of academic self-efficacy and educational expectations. A sample of 1365 adolescents completed four questionnaires measuring academic grit, academic engagement, educational expectations, and academic self-efficacy. Structural equation modeling showed a good model fit (χ²/df = 6.18, root mean squared error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.07, Bentler's comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.99, Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] = 0.98, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = 0.02). Academic grit significantly predicted academic engagement (β = 0.36, P < 0.001). Both academic self-efficacy and educational expectations had significant mediating effects (indirect effect = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI; 0.32, 0.49]; indirect effect = 0.03, 95% CI [0.01, 0.04]), accounting for 51% and 3.8% of the total effect, respectively. These findings suggest that academic grit influences academic engagement both directly and indirectly through self-efficacy and expectations, underscoring the critical role of these mediators in enhancing students' academic success and providing insights for educational interventions.

Parental efficacy and well-being among Chinese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: Mediated by social support and moderated by children's externalizing problem behaviors

Ji Sun, Yongfei Ban — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

This study examined the association between parental efficacy and well-being among Chinese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), exploring the potential mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship. Participants included 386 parents (72% mothers; 26.94 ± 2.30 years) with ASD in the study. Data were collected using the parenting sense of competence scale, the oxford happiness questionnaire, the perceived social support scale, and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (parent edition). Analyses revealed significant positive correlations between parental efficacy, social support, and well-being, whereas children's externalizing problem behaviors exhibited a negative association with well-being. Mediation analysis indicated that social support partially explained the positive prediction of parental efficacy on well-being. Children's externalizing problem behaviors moderated the relationship between social support and well-being. This study delineates the psychological mechanisms connecting parental self-efficacy to well-being in ASD caregivers, providing a theoretical foundation for interventions to enhance family adaptation and quality of life.

Efficacy of integrative group hypnosis on subjective well-being in Chinese graduate students: A randomized controlled trial

Wei Ren, Pei Zhang, Pei Sun — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Graduate students worldwide face a significant mental health crisis, with high rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout, which collectively undermine their subjective well-being (SWB). However, empirical studies on enhancing their positive psychological qualities remain scarce. This randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of a 10-week integrative group hypnosis intervention on SWB and its core components among 39 Chinese graduate students, who were allocated to either an experimental group (N = 19) receiving the intervention or a wait-list control group (N = 20). Assessments at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up showed that the intervention significantly improved SWB (time × group interaction: F = 5.681, P = 0.005, η² = 0.133) and positive affect (F = 6.772, P = 0.002, η² = 0.155). At posttest, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher SWB, positive affect, subjective vitality, and life satisfaction, along with lower negative affect than the control group. The follow-up data revealed a differential trajectory, whereby the initial surge in positive affect was not fully maintained, contrasting with the more stable improvements in cognitive and energy-related components. Despite this, the integrative group hypnosis intervention effectively enhanced graduate students' overall SWB and produced beneficial effects, offering empirical evidence and a practical pathway for universities to promote positive mental health development.