Listening to music reduced stress during the pandemic: study

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Listening to music reduced stress during the pandemic, according to new research.

A study of hundreds of people found it also improved mood.

It adds to evidence that our favorite sounds are a great antidote to anxiety.

Corresponding author Dr. Anja Feneberg, of the University of Vienna, said: "Listening to music in daily life was significantly associated with lower levels of stress during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

"Music listening was also significantly associated with improved mood, particularly for those with elevated chronic stress during the pandemic. "

The findings in JAMA Network Open are based on 711 adults aged 24 to 36 in Austria and Italy.

An app on their smartphone prompted them to report activities five times a day for a week between April 1 and May 8, 2020.

Participants provided data on experiences in real-time in their natural environment while strict lockdown measures were in place.

Perceptions of momentary stress and mood were measured using app-based questionnaires with scores ranging from zero to 100.

Participants provided a total of 19,641 data points, including 4,677 music-listening reports.

An analysis linked the latter to lowering stress by an average of eight percent - and boosting mood by 90 percent.

Dr. Feneberg said: "The present findings suggest music listening may be a means to modulate stress and mood during psychologically demanding periods.

"Individuals experiencing heightened momentary and/or chronic stress because of the challenges brought about by COVID-19 pandemic–related restrictions might consider music as an easily accessible tool for the management of stress and mood in daily life."

Previous research has shown music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body.

Faster songs can make you feel more alert and concentrate better. Upbeat ones can make you feel more optimistic and positive about life.

A slower tempo can quiet your mind and relax your muscles, making you feel soothed while releasing the stress of the day.

Music has been found to be effective for relaxation and stress management.

Dr. Feneberg said: "Music listening qualifies as an easily accessible coping strategy during times of a pandemic.

"Music has the capacity to modulate cognitive, affective, and neurobiological processes."

"Moreover, historical evidence suggests that, particularly in times of crisis and disasters, individuals across cultures turn to music to lift their mood and to increase feelings of social connectedness."

The pandemic changed the everyday life of many individuals worldwide - with far-reaching lockdown measures implemented across the world.

They included strict social distancing and stay-at-home orders.

Dr. Feneberg said: "The resulting social and economic disruption was associated with stress, worries and mental health problems among the general population.

"This disruption was aggravated by the fact that many leisure activities that were previously pursued to regulate stress and mood - such as meeting friends and attending cultural events - were banned.

"Prolonged levels of chronic stress and impaired mood have been shown to be major risk factors for mental and somatic disorders, specifically in the context of the pandemic."

Surprisingly, individuals reporting higher levels of chronic stress experienced the most benefit associated with music listening in terms of improved mood and energetic arousal.

Previous studies suggested that the benefits associated with music might be limited under heightened stress.

Dr. Feneberg said: "Happy music, in particular, was associated with lower stress levels and improved mood across time and across individuals.

"Furthermore, individuals reporting higher chronic stress levels reported improved mood after music listening."

It corroborates and extends previous research that has highlighted the health benefits associated with music and its value in coping with psychological distress during the lockdown.

Dr. Feneberg said: "The present study provides unique evidence from a real-life and real-time perspective on the prospective associations between deliberate music listening and perceptions of stress and mood during lockdown among a large sample of individuals from the general population.

"In this regard, our findings indicate that music listening in daily life might regulate levels of stress and energetic arousal toward an optimal state while it improves mood valence and calmness."

She added: "Our findings can further promote the development of individualized and tailored interventions that deliver music to foster resilience in daily life during psychologically demanding periods."