An Experimental Test of Pop Music Lyrics Referencing Anxiety on Female College Students’ Audience Involvement and Peer Mental Health Empathy

Abstract

Empathy among this generation of students appears to be drastically lower than previous generations. Mental health empathy is inversely related to mental health stigma, and stigma persists as the most significant barrier to help-seeking among this population. Research suggests that pop songs that reference mental health difficulties may help to increase mental health empathy. This paper reports on an experimental test of music lyric and lyric video effects, comparing the influence of exposure to a pop song and lyric video with anxiety-themed lyrics, a pop song and lyric video without any mental health-themed lyrics, and a pop song instrumental and lyric video with no lyrics on female college students’ involvement – perceived personal connection – with the song and their peer mental health empathy. Results suggest that a single exposure to a pop song and visual lyric video with anxiety-themed lyrics can influence peer mental health empathy. Further, these findings indicate that song lyrics are a significant gateway to audience involvement in this context. This study’s findings are valuable to mental health communication practitioners struggling to reach female youth as empathetic reactions are often necessary to encourage positive health behavior change in the context of stigmatized health conditions, such as mental health.