The Role of Music in Undergraduate Students’ Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Investigation Based on Musical Training

Abstract

AbstractMusic-related activities have been proven effective in promoting wellbeing, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Undergraduate students’ wellbeing has worsened during this crisis. However, there is little evidence with regards to the impact of music usage on students’ wellbeing during the COVID-19 lockdown. This study investigated the relationship between music usage and students’ wellbeing, based on their level of musical training. Participants (N = 142, Greek undergraduate students) completed online questionnaires about the lockdown period assessing: (i) Musical training, (ii) Wellbeing, and (iii) Music usage for mood regulation. Furthermore, they reported the degree that music usage contributed to their wellbeing and provided qualitative answers about how music assisted them during lockdown. Results revealed that wellbeing during lockdown positively correlated with how much participants considered that music engagement contributed to their wellbeing, suggesting that participants, especially the highly musically trained, were aware of the beneficial impact of music. Wellbeing negatively correlated with music usage for discharge. Furthermore, a data-driven approach revealed three clusters of participants: high wellbeing-high musical training, high wellbeing-low musical training, and low wellbeing-high musical training, the latter being potentially indicative of a group of musicians which were negatively affected on a professional level by the pandemic. Finally, a qualitative analysis showed that participants with higher musical training and those with high wellbeing used music in more diverse ways compared to those with low musical training or wellbeing. Overall, our findings shed light onto the relationship between music usage, musical training, and wellbeing in times of crisis for young adults.KeywordsMusicWellbeingMoodMusical trainingCOVID-19