Spirituality Studies 139 Muhammad Japar et al. Feasibility of REBT Integrated with Islamic Music and Relaxation Therapy for Meaning in Life among Muslim Adolescents: A Pilot Study of Gender Differences Received January 29, 2026 Revised March 16, 2026 Accepted March 17, 2026 Keywords Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, meaning in life, religious music, adolescent mental health, Islamic psychology This pilot pre-experimental study examines gender differences in meaning in life among Muslim adolescents as its primary focus, using an integrated REBT Islamic music relaxation intervention as the observational context. Using a one-group pre-test post-test follow-up design with 50 Indonesian secondary school students (N = 50: 23 males, 27 females aged 16–18), participants attended eight group counseling sessions incorporating REBT cognitive restructuring, Islamic nasheed, and guided relaxation [1]. The most consistent finding was significant gender differences, with male participants scoring higher on both dimensions at all measurement points (SOM: partial η² =.183; OOM: partial η² =.194). A slight decline in SOM across time points was also observed. Given the pre-experimental design without a control group, findings are strictly exploratory and do not support causal claims regarding intervention efficacy. These results provide a preliminary empirical basis for future gender sensitive controlled trials of spiritually integrated approaches with Muslim adolescents. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Japar, M.Si., Kons. is a Professor at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia, where he serves as a lecturer in the Doctoral Program in Psychology. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at Universitas Muhammadiyah Magelang (2007–2022) and as Vice Rector for Academic Affairs (1997– 2001). His research focuses on Islamic psychology, adolescent moral development, and REBT-based group counseling. He has published in international journals on meaning in life, disruptive behavior, and spiritually integrated counseling. He can be reached at mj873@ums.ac.id. orcid.org Muhammad Japar et al. Purwati Purwati, Rohmawan Adi Pratama, Filda Khoirun Nikmah, Indah Novita Sari, Bagas Gumintang ←← A Musical Gathering – Ottoman, unknown author, 18th century
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