Music and Mental Health: Understanding When Music Helps and When It Harms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3964Keywords:
Music, Mental HealthAbstract
In recent years, music has been widely recognized as a mood regulator and beneficial to mental health. However, mounting evidence suggests that the effects of music are not universally positive, but rather vary depending on the individual, the context, and the music itself. This literature review examines current research on the relationship between music and mental health, considering both the beneficial and harmful psychological effects of music. The review explores the neural mechanisms behind the positive effects of music, as well as issues such as occupational stress for musicians, music performance anxiety (MPA), harmful lyrics, and music-related ruminative thinking. The findings indicate that music itself does not directly produce beneficial or harmful effects; rather, the effects depend on how and why listeners listen to music and the specific context. Future research should include more diverse populations and longitudinal study designs to better understand the complex interplay between music and mental health.
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