Curing the Blues: Investigating the Therapeutic Effect of Music on Stress, Anxiety,

Curing the Blues: Investigating the Therapeutic Effect of Music on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Nearly half of Australians aged 16–85 experience mental health disorders, with anxiety, depression, and stress being the most prevalent (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2022; World Health Organization (WHO), 2022). The societal impact of these disorders is profound, imposing financial, social, and emotional burdens (Wilmott et al., 2022). Consequently, a large body of research has been undertaken aimed at reducing depression, anxiety, and stress and promoting well-being (for a review, see James et al, 2023). One area of research that investigates therapeutic interventions to address mental health concerns is music psychology. Research efforts in this field have demonstrated that music can alter mood and help address the adverse impacts of poor mental health (Goth & Groden, 2018; Morse & Van de Zwan, 2019; Toma et al, 2013). However, to date this work has largely focused on specific genres of music (Salinger, 2020), leaving a critical gap in the impacts of a diverse array of genres potential ability to address mental health concerns. Further research is imperative to address this gap.

Untreated mental health disorders adversely affect individuals and society. Mental health problems exacerbate physical health issues, escalating the risk of chronic diseases and diminishing overall quality of life (Plath & Hughes, 2023). Without adequate support, severe depression and anxiety heighten the risk of suicide (Jespersen et al., 2015). Societally, the strain on healthcare systems due to untreated conditions results in elevated healthcare utilisation and costs (Morse & Van de Zwan, 2019).

Efforts to respond to these challenges in the field of music psychology have shown promising results. For instance, research suggests that listening to classical music not only increases the ability of people diagnosed with depressive disorders to regulate emotion (Goth & Groden, 2018) but is also associated with a reduction in the stress-related hormone cortisol (Morse & Van de Zwan, 2019). Folk and pop music is associated with a reduction in self-reported stress (Perin & Cawood, 2021; Toma et al., 2013) and with reduced self-reported anxiety when listened to at bedtime (Jespersen et al., 2015). Collectively, these findings support the efficacy of classical, folk, and pop music in helping to treat mental health conditions.

While the existing body of research has primarily focused on classical, folk, or pop music, there is emerging evidence that some music genres may diminish positive affect and heighten stress response. For instance, Sharman et al. (2014) demonstrated that listening to heavy metal is negatively associated with self-reported positive affect and exposure to reggae has been shown to correlate with increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure (Plath & Hughes, 2023). Further research dedicated to clarifying whether the impact of music on mood is genre-specific this issue is warranted.

The current study aims to explore the impact of one specific genre of music, post-punk on mental health. Specifically, we investigate whether Australian university students aged over 18 who listen to post-punk band The Cure will exhibit elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression compared to a control group, who will not listen to music.

We predict that participants in the treatment group who listen to The Cure’s album “Disintegration” for three hours will exhibit lower stress scores on Lovibond and Lovibond’s (1995) Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) at follow-up compared to baseline and compared to the control group. It is also predicted that individuals in the treatment group will return lower anxiety scores on the DASS at follow-up compared to baseline and compared to the control group. Finally, it is predicted that participants in the treatment group will report lower DASS depression scores at follow-up compared to baseline and compared to the control group.

Discussion

The present study aimed to explore the impact of post-punk music on stress, anxiety, and depression. Our hypotheses that individuals who listened to The Cure for 3 hours would exhibit lower depression, anxiety, and stress scores on the DASS at follow-up compared to baseline and compared to the treatment groups were not supported. Notably, participants exposed to The Cure demonstrated a significant increase in depression scores between time one and two, while the control group’s depression scores remained consistent across these intervals. No significant differences emerged in stress and anxiety scores between the treatment and control groups at both baseline and follow-up assessments.

Our findings suggest listening to The Cure impacted self-reported symptoms of depression, underscoring the potential of music to alter mental states. Similar to Sharman et al. (2014) findings regarding heavy metal being negatively associated with positive affect, our finding showed increased depression scores after listening to The Cure. This finding is inconsistent with previous studies that reported reductions in depression after listening to music, namely classical, folk, and pop music (Goth & Groden, 2018; Morse & Van de Zwan, 2019). One explanation for this could be commonalities seen in heavy metal and post-punk that is not typically shared by genres like pop and folk music. Sub-genres of heavy metal and post-punk, such as doom metal and gothic rock (often used to describe The Cure) commonly use dissonance (intervals that sound tense or unstable), slow tempos, and downtuned guitars or bass guitars to create a darker sonic palette, compared to genres like pop or folk. Slow tempos, descending melodies, dissonant harmonies, and lower register strings are musical elements known to evoke feelings of sadness (Shinely et al., 2018).

Alternatively, personal music preferences could be a crucial factor. Research indicates that people generally derive more positive effects from music they genuinely enjoy (Smith & Davis, 2014). It’s plausible that the album or musical genre in our study might not have resonated with the participants, potentially diminishing the therapeutic benefits of the music.

Our finding that music did not influence stress and anxiety diverges from several prior studies (Morse & Van de Zwan, 2019; Perin & Cawood, 2021; Toma et al., 2013; Jespersen et al., 2015). This deviation may arise from the distinct characteristics of post-punk music, exemplified by The Cure’s “Disintegration,” and its unique emotional and tonal qualities compared to other genres. Alternatively, disparities in study protocols could explain the inconsistent findings.

In Jespersen et al.’s (2015) investigation, participants listened to music before bedtime and self-reported next-day anxiety. In contrast, our study collected data during daytime hours at university labs, with participants completing the DASS scale immediately after music exposure. Anxiety levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day due to circadian rhythms (Lightpole & Church, 2019). Different times of testing may capture these natural variations, rather than the impact of music on anxiety.

Concerning disparate findings on stress, Perin and Cawood’s (2021) and Toma et al.’s (2023) studies involved online participation, allowing participants to engage from their own homes rather on-campus. Moreburn (2018) states the environment and context of data collection can influence a participant’s emotional experiences. It’s plausible that conducting tests on-campus generated baseline anxiety levels sufficient to nullify the previously reported positive effect of music on anxiety reduction.

In interpreting these results, it is important to consider the methodological limitations of our study. The narrow focus on one album and music group within a genre may limit generalisability, as individual preferences or aversions to The Cure’s music could contribute to diverse responses. Alternatively, our results may be influenced by assessing symptoms immediately after exposure. The album’s emphasis on existential themes and a brooding atmosphere might have prompted immediate feelings of sadness, leading to the participant’s immediate endorsement of depression subscale items. However, possibly, this may capture a fleeting emotional state. Future research should explore a broader range of albums and artists within the post-punk genre, collecting data across multiple time points to strengthen our understanding of its effects on mental health.

Despite the unexpected findings, practical implications can be drawn from this study. Specifically, our findings suggest that the influence of music on mental health is genre-dependent. This insight emphasises the need for clinicians implementing musical interventions to provide a customised model tailored to individual preferences and mental health profiles. This knowledge can inform therapeutic strategies, refining music-based approaches in the treatment of mental health disorders and potentially enhancing their effectiveness.

In conclusion, this study sheds light on the relationship between music and mental health. While our hypotheses were not supported, the significant increase in depression scores suggests a nuanced impact of The Cure’s “Disintegration.” Methodological considerations and personalised approaches should be prioritised in future research to further explore music’s influence on mental well-being.

References

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