Were you rushing or were you dragging? Perceived support, music-specific stress, and internalizing symptoms in university-level music students

Abstract

Music students often experience high levels of stress largely due to factors including coursework, performances, time management, professional development, and practicing. Stress that music students face is associated with depression and anxiety. Previous research shows that social support is linked to lower stress and internalizing symptoms. However, no studies to date have examined ensemble directors, lesson teachers, or music major peers as specific sources of support in the lives of music students. The current study examined whether social support from these sources moderated the link between music-specific stress and internalizing symptoms. Participants were 73 music students at a large public university in the United States. The results revealed a statistically significant association between music-specific stress and internalizing symptoms. Furthermore, social support from ensemble directors moderated the relationship between music-specific stress and depression. The findings suggest that (a) music-specific stress is linked to internalizing problems in students, (b) ensemble directors may act as a protective resource in reducing the severity of depression for music students undergoing elevated music-specific stress, and (c) more research is needed that examines the role ensemble directors, lesson teachers, and music major peers can play in supporting the mental health of music students.