Nursing Journal Volume 10.
Issue 2.
Page 188-193 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 https://ejurnal.
id/index.
php/JKep/article/view/x DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
32668/jkep.
BINAURAL BEATS AS AN INTERVENTION TO REDUCE ACADEMIC
ANXIETY IN FIRST SEMESTER STUDENTS
1st Nurhalimah1* 2 Omi Haryati Abstract 3rd Indriana Rakhmawati1 4th Wartonah1 5th M Zaky Akbar1 6th Nadhia Elsa Silviani1 Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenekes Jakarta i.
West Java.
Indonesia email: nurhalimahskm@yahoo.
Keywords:
Academic Anxiety Binaural Beats Students Anxiety and difficulty concentrating are often experienced by first-year college students, especially those with introverted personalities, poor coping mechanisms, low adaptability, and an inability to manage stress.
These conditions can impact their academic performance.
This is a quantitative study with a pre-experimental design using a one-group pretest-posttest design.
A sample of 57 students in the Applied Undergraduate Study Program.
Department of Nursing.
Poltekkes Jakarta i, was selected through purposive sampling.
Data were analysed using the Wilcoxon signedrank test.
The results showed that the average academic anxiety score before the intervention was 55.
95, while after the intervention it decreased to 41.
00, with a p-value of 0.
These findings indicate that binaural beats are effective in reducing academic anxiety levels in nursing students at Poltekkes Kemenkes Jakarta i, thus offering an alternative approach to addressing students' academic anxiety.
Received: October 2025 Accepted: November 2025 Published: November 2025 A year The Authors.
Published by Published Jurusan Keperawatan.
Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes Jakarta i.
This is Open Access article under the CC-BY-SA License .
ttp://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-sa/4.
0/).
DOI:
https://doi.
org/10.
32668/jkep.
INTRODUCTION
Academic anxiety in new students is generally caused completing assignments, leading to decreased academic by adapting to a new environment, socioeconomic pressures, and increased academic workload 1.
A study Various techniques and strategies can be applied to by Simanjuntak & Amir of 93 first-year students reduce academic anxiety, one of which is binaural beats.
concluded that 13 .
3%) experienced very high Binaural beats are created when two tones with different anxiety, 54 .
%) experienced high anxiety, and 22 frequencies are played to each ear.
The brain then .
8%) experienced moderate anxiety.
A study of 78 perceives the difference in frequency as a "third tone.
first-year nursing students concluded that 20 .
Several empirical studies have shown that when experienced very high anxiety, 10 .
8%) experienced binaural beats are delivered in the low-frequency band severe anxiety, and 16 .
5%) experienced mild .
, theta: 4Ae8 H.
, they can modulate the autonomic A similar study of 123 second-semester nervous system by increasing parasympathetic activity.
nursing students at Surya Global Health College in This effect is typically measured through heart rate Yogyakarta variability (HRV), where an increase in the high- moderate anxiety, and 30.
9% experienced mild anxiety (HF) parasympathetic dominance.
This modification creates a Academic anxiety in students can hinder the learning physiological state conducive to relaxation, which can process, leading to decreased motivation and difficulty indirectly reduce stress hormone activity.
This can hinder student productivity in Furthermore, although direct evidence is limited, theoretical reports and preliminary research suggest that JKEP (Jurnal Keperawata.
Vol 10 Issue 2.
November 2025.
Page 188-193 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 binaural beats can influence the balance of inhibitory reducing academic anxiety in new nursing students at and mood-regulating neurotransmittersAispecifically.
Poltekkes Kemenkes Jakarta i.
The purpose of this increasing levels of GABA .
amma-aminobutyric aci.
study was to determine the effect of binaural beats on and serotonin.
Several non-clinical applications of the level of academic anxiety in first-year undergraduate music therapy have demonstrated these effects, students of the applied nursing program at Poltekkes potentially supporting anxiety reduction.
Kemenkes Jakarta i.
However, not all empirical results show the same results because consistent entrainment or EEG power changes.
METHODS and methodological variations .
, carrier tone, beat This study employed a quantitative design with a pre- frequency, exposure duratio.
significantly affect experimental approach, consisting of a one-group research results.
pretest and posttest.
The study took place at the Overall, binaural beats work by creating a third tone by Poltekkes Jakarta i campus.
The study was conducted from May 7 to 14, 2025.
The population was 110 first- parasympathetic dominance, and modulating calming year nursing students experiencing anxiety.
The sample These neurophysiological changes was selected using a non-probability sampling technique will reduce anxiety, although further research is needed with a purposive sampling method, with a sample size to directly measure the effects on stress hormones and of 57 respondents.
The inclusion criteria were first-year Applied Bachelor Research by Lee et al on sleep quality showed that of Nursing students at Poltekkes Jakarta i with mild, exposure to binaural beats improved sleep quality in the moderate, and severe levels of academic anxiety.
Ethical intervention group compared to the control group 5.
approval was issued by the Ethics Commission of Research by Yang et al.
has shown that exposure to Poltekkes binaural beats can reduce anxiety levels and improve Kemenkes Jakarta i No.
DP.
03/F.
XIX.
13/3485/2025, while the research autonomic nervous system regulation in college students, with effects varying depending on the PP.
02/F.
XI/4495/2025.
frequency used 6.
A similar study by Mosheshe et al.
The research questionnaire consisted of respondents' concluded that binaural beats effectively reduced demographic data and a questionnaire on factors anxiety in college students during a cadaver dissection influencing academic anxiety, modified from research by Farraisa et al.
, which included five variables:
Research by BEseanu concluded that this therapy is performance pressure, fear of failure, social comparison, effective in reducing anxiety and depression 8.
A similar academic ability, and stress management skills.
This study by Wahyuni on female student Aisyiah concluded questionnaire consisted of nine items, utilizing a Likert that binaural beats music can reduce stress levels during thesis writing 9.
The validity test obtained a value of 0.
368Ae0.
853, and Research on binaural beats has demonstrated their the reliability test obtained a Cronbach's alpha value of effectiveness in regulating the autonomic nervous The results of the univariate test analysis were system, thereby reducing anxiety.
However, this described in the frequency distribution of respondent research has not been widely conducted in Indonesia.
The Wilcoxon bivariate test was used to Therefore, the researcher was interested in conducting determine whether there was a significant difference in this study to determine the effect of binaural beats on pretest and posttest scores related to the intervention.
JKEP (Jurnal Keperawata.
Vol 10 Issue 2.
November 2025.
Page 188-193 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 determine the relationship between factors influencing context for interpreting the results regarding academic academic anxiety and the level of academic anxiety, the anxiety and its influencing factors.
Spearman Rank Correlation test was used.
Table 1.
2 Frequency Distribution of Academic Anxiety RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Level Categories Variable RESULT Academic Anxiety Level (Pretes.
Tablel 1.
1 Distribution of Respondent Characteristics Characteristic Age 18 years 19 years 20 years 22 years Sex Male Female f (%) Mean Std.
Deviation Academic Anxiety Level (Post tes.
Anxiety Category Mild Moderate Anxiety Mild Moderate f (%) Table 1.
2 above shows the results that the majority of students have mild academic anxiety, with a total of 42 respondents .
7%).
Binaural beats are an auditory perception phenomenon that stimulates the brain to resonate with the differences in Based on the data above, the majority of respondents frequencies simultaneously received through each ear.
aged 19 years old were female.
Demographic analysis When two tones with different frequencies are heard showed that the majority of respondents were 19 years simultaneously through each ear, the brain processes the old .
1%), followed by 18 years old .
0%), 20 years frequency difference as a new waveform, creating the old .
0%), and 22 years old .
8%).
This age sensation of a beat at 10 Hz.
When the frequency difference distribution reflects the general pattern of first-year is in the alpha wave range .
Ae12 H.
, the brain tends to students at Poltekkes Kemenkes Jakarta i, where most relax and focus, increasing the balance of the autonomic students begin higher education between the ages of 18 nervous system, reducing sympathetic nervous system The age range of respondents is crucial for activity associated with the stress response, and increasing understanding students' psychological development and parasympathetic activity, which plays a role in calming and academic adaptation, as this transitional age is often emotional recovery.
associated with an increased risk of academic anxiety.
Several studies support this mechanism, including a In terms of gender, the majority of respondents were study by Mosheshe et al.
that found exposure to 10 Hz female .
7%), while only 12.
3% were male.
This binaural beats for 3 minutes before and during finding aligns with the characteristics of nursing anatomical dissection significantly reduced State programs, which are traditionally female-dominated.
Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) scores .
= 0.
The Gender differences are relevant because previous results of a study by Chairinkam et al.
showed similar research has shown that levels of academic anxiety can results: students who listened to superimposed binaural vary by gender, with females generally reporting higher beats for five days experienced a median decrease in the levels of anxiety.
STAI-S of 20 points compared to the control group 15.
Overall, these demographic characteristics indicate that Research by Yang et al.
demonstrated that binaural beats the study sample is representative of the first-year with a frequency of 6Ae10 Hz can lower blood pressure nursing student population, providing appropriate and heart rate, as well as improve the balance of the autonomic nervous system 6.
Alpha-frequency binaural JKEP (Jurnal Keperawata.
Vol 10 Issue 2.
November 2025.
Page 188-193 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 beat stimulation helps reduce sympathetic nervous therapy is a relevant alternative because it can be done system activity and increase parasympathetic activity, independently, is affordable, and is flexible without the which plays a role in the relaxation process and reduces need for special medical equipment.
physiological stress responses such as rapid heart rate or The study also showed that positive responses to muscle tension 11.
binaural beats tended to be higher in participants who Physiologically, exposure to binaural beats lowers listened regularly in a quiet environment and used high- brainwave frequency toward a calming alpha state, quality stereo headsets.
Therefore, consistency and thereby reducing levels of stress hormones like cortisol, environmental conditions during therapy are crucial slowing the heart rate, and increasing heart rate factors that influence the success of the intervention.
The reduction in anxiety scores after binaural beats Psychologically, this state improves focus, emotional administration suggests that this therapy has potential as a non-pharmacological intervention that is easily (HRV), environmental stressors.
accessible and free of side effects.
The use of alpha Furthermore, these positive effects can be explained waves .
Ae12 H.
for 15Ae30 minutes per session has been through the theory of brain entrainment, which refers to shown to be effective in reducing mild to moderate the brain's ability to synchronize its electrical activity anxiety symptoms in college students 12.
with a specific external frequency.
When the brain This research aligns with the findings of Venkatesan et resonates with alpha waves, individuals experience a , who stated that the combination of music and state of calm and focus, which in turn reduces the binaural beats significantly reduced anxiety in college perception of academic stressors.
students with a moderate effect size .
= -0.
Pang Table 1.
3 Difference in Average Academic Anxiety et al.
also added that the effects of binaural beats were Score more pronounced in individuals with high levels of Variable Academic Anxiety (Pretes.
(Posttes.
Mean Mean Difference initial anxiety, suggesting that this technique could be p-value used selectively for students with moderate to severe anxiety symptoms 14.
Binaural beats interventions have been shown to reduce situational anxiety experienced by college students Table 1.
3 illustrates a 14.
95-point difference in average during this transition period.
The use of binaural beats scores between the pretest and posttest.
The p-value offers an easily accessible relaxation experience with no between the pretest and posttest was 0.
001 (<0.
side effects and can be performed independently using indicating a significant difference in the data.
These stereo headphones.
Therefore, this intervention is a statistical test results indicate an effect of binaural beats on relevant non-pharmacological alternative for enhancing students' academic anxiety levels.
the mental health of college students.
In first-semester college students, anxiety levels tend to The resulting relaxation effects also strengthen students' increase due to the demands of adapting to a new capacity to cope with academic and social pressures, environment, different learning methods, and academic thus supporting adaptation and improving psychological and social pressures.
First-semester college students well-being.
Furthermore, this intervention can be face a complex transition period, both academically and utilized as part of mental health promotion programs in Factors such as separation from family, higher education institutions through counseling, pressure to achieve, and adjustment to a new learning academic advising, and group relaxation sessions.
system can trigger situational anxiety.
Binaural beat JKEP (Jurnal Keperawata.
Vol 10 Issue 2.
November 2025.
Page 188-193 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 In general, the results of this study align with several Therefore, implementing binaural beats as part of a new college international studies that have found binaural beats to be student adaptation program can improve mental well-being and effective in reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation.
support their academic and social development Research by Padmanabhan et al.
showed that 30
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
minutes of 10 Hz sound therapy significantly reduced I would like to thank all parties who supported this preoperative anxiety 12.
Similar findings were also research, especially the new student participants who reported by Le Scouarnec et al, who found that exposure agreed to participate in the study and those who to alpha-frequency binaural beats induced feelings of provided moral and material support.
This research calm and reduced muscle tension 11.
shows that binaural beats have the potential to be an However, several studies have shown that the effects of effective method in reducing anxiety levels, and it is binaural beats can vary depending on the duration of hoped that it will provide benefits in improving the exposure, environmental conditions, and individual mental well-being of new students.
Hopefully, these anxiety levels, results can serve as a reference and further development sensitivity to sound, and adherence to the protocol.
Therefore, to support psychological well-being in the academic large-scale randomized trial design is needed to confirm its general
These REFERENCES