Listening to music is a universal human experience. People of all ages and cultures often use it to reduce stress and improve mood, especially in times of crisis.
However, scientific research evaluating the real-time association of listening to music with stress and mood during the Covid-19 pandemic is still scarce. A study carried out between April and May 2020, with people from Austria and Italy, brings new nuances to the issue.
The research revealed that music may have contributed to reducing stress during the lockdown period, a restriction measure imposed during the pandemic with the aim of reducing the transmission of the coronavirus. The results were published in the scientific journal JAMA this Tuesday (10).
The survey had the participation of more than 700 participants, with an average age of 27 years. From a mobile app, volunteers reported on their experiences in real time, five times a day within a week. The information included reports about listening to music and mental status.
Data analysis by the researchers was performed from March 2021 to February 2022. Perceived chronic stress was assessed once at the end of the study.
According to the article, perceptions of momentary stress and mood were measured using visual analogue scales, with score ranges from 0 to 100, which indicated “not at all” or “a lot”, respectively. Participants provided a total of 19,641 data points, including 4,677 music listening reports.
According to the study, listening to music was prospectively associated with lower levels of momentary stress and improvements in mood valence, especially if the music was perceived as upbeat. Individuals with higher levels of chronic stress reported improved mood after listening to music.
The researchers say the results suggest that listening to music may be a means of modulating stress and mood during psychologically demanding periods.
“Individuals who experience heightened momentary or chronic stress due to the challenges brought by restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic may consider music as an easily accessible tool for managing stress and mood in daily life”, says an excerpt from the article.
Source: CNN Brasil
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