The Influence Of Local Music Course On The Mental Health Of Yi Minority Students

Mental health education is an important work to improve the psychological quality of ethnic minorities. Studies have pointed out that the mental health level of ethnic minorities students is lower compared with the Han nationality students.It was found during the actual work that the many Yi students are more likely to be depressed, alienated and unhappy because of difficulties in learning Chinese and cultural adaptation. Music is an art of emotion. Music education can not only edify students’ sentiment, improve the students’ aesthetic ability and innovative consciousness, but also helpful for the student’s mental health.Yi folk song singing forms, wide contents, unique style color. Yi has an ancient tradition of singing. To explore the approach to improve Yi student’ mental health, as an entry point to cultivate students’ music feeling and appreciation ability, improve their ability of music’s expressive force, creativity, understanding and cultural knowledge related to music, this research reference related psychological theory and the "primary school music curriculum standard" and designed 8 sections of Dali Weishan Yi indigenous music courses on the basis of 3D object(knowledge and skills, process and methods, emotional attitude and values).This study used a quasi-experimental design, selected three 5th grade classes as experimental subjects. Another two 5th grade classes were chosen as comparison. There are 95 students in the experimental classes, including 30 Yi students and 65 Han students. Students of experimental class accepted 8 consecutive local Yi music courses(2 courses per week).The comparative classes contained 90 students, including 30 Yi students 30 and 60 Han students. These students accepted 8 conventional music courses(2 courses per week) according to the national curriculum standards. Using “the children’s depression scale”, “children’s loneliness scale”, “happiness face rating scale”, a music learning questionnaire, etc, both experimental classes and comparative classes students were tested before and after the music courses. The experimental results show that:1. The test scores increment of depression degree in experimental class students after the study was significantly lower than its pretest scores increment and the after-test of the comparative classes, mainly expressing in negative emotions and the lack of emotion, shows that local Yi music course can effectively reduce the elementary level of depression of Yi students, also Han students.2. The test increment results of the loneliness feelings before and after the experimental class students and that in comparative classes have no significant difference, shows the local Yi music curriculum doesn’t play a significant role for the feelings of loneliness of Yi and Han students.3. The ascension of happiness in the test scores between the experimental and comparative class students has no obvious differences before and after the experimental, states that the students feel very happy, especially Yi students, they feel more happy than Han students.4. Native Yi music course can effectively promote the elementary student’s psychological health level, also can be used in teaching practice.Local music courses can effectively improve the Yi elementary student’s psychological health level, especially effective in mitigating depression, promoting happiness and love of music course. 8 consecutive local Yi music courses per month shown a positive impact on Yi student’s psychological health. But it still need a long time training to promote students’ psychological health level effectively and durably.