Music Listening for Wellbeing and Coping During Times of Crisis

The COVID-19 lockdown influenced social interactions, occupational contexts and healthcare systems. Music listening can support cognition and relaxation and facilitate non-verbal communication which could be beneficial for the management of physical and mental health in periods of crisis and high stress such as the pandemic. We investigated the role and impact of music listening during the COVID-19 pandemic by using a series of quantitative and qualitative measures. Participants (N=166) completed the study and a factor analysis, on the music consumption and mental health responses, highlighted two key factors ‘Wellbeing’ and ‘Coping’. ‘Wellbeing’, indicated that music listening helped participants get through the lockdown period, particularly for those who felt most anxious. ‘Coping’, highlighted that participants used music for company, making everyday tasks more manageable. Females were more likely to report increased feeling of fear and depression and also reported listening to more music after the lockdown was lifted compared to males. Additionally, there were significantly less reports of changing music taste with participants’ increased age. The findings of this study indicate that music listening is critical in supporting people to cope during times of crisis, with some individual differences in how music consumption affects wellbeing and vice versa.