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Music and Mental Health

An analysis on the relationship between music and mental health, exploring its impact on
emotional well-being and cognitive function.

STATISTICS

(ASTA05PR)

TYBA 2023-24

Name Roll no. UID Phone no. Email

Aashni Rebello 145 211366 7773968308 aashni.rebello@xaviers.edu.in

Shaehan Menon 146 211414 8879871793 shaehan.menon@xaviers.edu.in

Kashish Rajpurohit 147 211415 9004064840 kashish.rajpurohit@xaviers.edu.in

Parth Chhajed 148 211420 7769993336 parth.chhajed@xaviers.edu.in

Erya Modi 149 211441 6264300472 erya.modi@xaviers.edu.in

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Index

Sr.no. Topic Page no.

1. Introduction 3

2. Hypothesis 3

3. Objectives 3

4. Review of Literature 4

5. Methodolgy 5

6. Analysis 5

7. Conclusion 10

8. Limitations 11

9. References 12

10. Working 13
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Introduction and Purpose of the Project

In an era where the significance of mental health is increasingly recognized, music remains a
universal form of human expression. Music has long been celebrated for its ability to evoke
emotions, inspire creativity, and provide solace during times of distress. However, its potential
influence on mental health has only recently begun to receive comprehensive attention within the
realm of scientific inquiry. The intersection of music and mental health is a subject of profound
interest and significance in contemporary society.

Music, a universal language, has the power to touch the deepest recesses of human emotions,
offering solace, catharsis, and a means of expression in times of joy, sorrow, and everything in
between.
Simultaneously, mental health, a vital component of overall well-being, plays an indispensable role
in shaping individual lives and community dynamics. This intersection is not merely coincidental; it
represents a complex and dynamic relationship where music can be both a therapeutic tool and a
reflection of one's mental state. From the use of music therapy in clinical settings to the emotional
resonance of a favourite song during personal struggles, the connections between music and mental
health are multi-faceted.

This project aims to delve into the intricate connection between music and mental health,
employing rigorous statistical methods to uncover patterns, correlations, and insights that can shed
light on the therapeutic and psychological aspects of music. By examining a diverse range of
variables and conducting data-driven analyses, this study seeks to contribute valuable insights to
the ongoing discourse surrounding music's impact on mental well-being. Through this exploration,
we aim to discern patterns and gain insights into how music might positively or negatively
influence mental health, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of this
multifaceted relationship.

Hypothesis

The survey aims to investigate the relationship between music consumption and mental
health outcomes.

Objectives

1. To investigate whether there is a relationship between the amount of music

consumption and mental health conditions.
2. To check if there is a relationship between the bpm (beats per minute) and anxiety
levels.
3. Does music serve as a stress-reliever?
4. To understand whether exposure to a specific genre of music affects an individual's
mental well-being.
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Literature Review
“Music therapy for people with schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like disorders” by Mössler K., Chen
X., Heldal T.O., Gold C. (2011).

This study investigates the use of structured music interventions as a potent approach in treating
mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. It highlights their reported
effectiveness in alleviating symptoms, enhancing mood, and facilitating improved social
interactions. In cases where traditional verbal therapy may be less efficient due to the severity of
mental disorders,
music-based interventions offer a valuable alternative. Music provides distinct benefits, including
motivation, the fostering of therapeutic relationships, and expressive emotional outlets, which can
equip patients with valuable resources and competencies for their daily lives, ultimately
improving their mental health and overall well-being.

“Music as therapy” by Kemper K.J., Danhauer S.C. (2005) and “Does music therapy improve
mental health in adults?” by Lee J., Thyer (2013)

This research paper presents a comprehensive overview of the positive impact of music interventions
on individuals in clinical settings. Numerous studies, spanning various age groups, consistently
indicate that music interventions have a beneficial effect on mood and alleviate symptoms of anxiety
and depression. This positive influence extends to both children and adults, underlining the broad
applicability of music-based therapies. Furthermore, the paper highlights that music therapy shows
promise in enhancing mental health in children and adolescents. Specifically, it can improve
communication skills in children with autistic spectrum disorder, offering a valuable therapeutic tool
for this population. For adult patients with mental health issues, clinical reports and pre-experimental
studies suggest that music therapy is an effective intervention worldwide. It serves as a
complementary or standalone approach, providing notable benefits. Importantly, a recent
comprehensive review reinforces these findings by demonstrating that music therapy, either as a
standalone treatment or when added to standard care, outperforms other therapeutic modalities such
as psychotherapy, verbal relaxation, standard care, and even no treatment. This evidence underscores
the potency of music therapy as a valuable and effective resource for improving mental health across
diverse clinical contexts. Overall, this research paper presents a compelling case for the integration of
music therapy into clinical practices, offering hope and enhanced well-being to individuals grappling
with mental health challenges.

“Effects of group music intervention on depression, anxiety, and relationships in psychiatric patients”
by Choi A.-N., Lee M.S., Lim H.-J (2008).

This research paper underscores the profound impact of mental health disorders, particularly
depression and anxiety, not only on individuals but also on their families and social networks. It
highlights the devastating consequences, including severe and debilitating symptoms that can leave
individuals feeling isolated and disconnected from their support systems. In this context, the paper
delves into the therapeutic potential of music as a multifaceted intervention. First and foremost, it
discusses how music can alleviate symptoms associated with mental illnesses like depression and
anxiety. Music's ability to evoke emotions and induce a state of mental relaxation can be harnessed
to mitigate the intensity of these symptoms, offering individuals a powerful coping mechanism.
Furthermore, the paper emphasises the social aspect of music therapy. It acts as a catalyst for
social interaction, providing a platform for individuals to connect with others. This facet is crucial
in
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addressing the isolation that often accompanies mental health challenges, as it fosters interpersonal
relationships and encourages a sense of belonging and support. Hence, by enabling emotional
expression, reducing symptoms, and enhancing social interactions, music therapy emerges as a
holistic approach that not only alleviates the suffering of individuals with mental health disorders
but also strengthens the bonds among their families and friends, ultimately contributing to a more
comprehensive and effective approach to mental health care.

Methodology
To fulfil the aims of our study, secondary data was considered for this study to understand the
customer perspective in order to accomplish the goals of our study. The target audience was the age
group 10-69. A Google Form Questionnaire was used to collect data from 736 responders. To
comprehend the respondents viewpoint the link between various factors was investigated using
correlation analysis. Further, Regression analysis was done to determine the association between
the quantitative variables.

Data
Secondary data source-
https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/catherinerasgaitis/mxmh-survey-results

Analysis

A. Regression Analysis
Y:Insomnia as per Likert Scale

X: Number of hours in a day spent listening to music

Regression Statistics

Multiple R 0.141820503
R Square 0.020113055
Adjusted R square 0.018778059
Standard Error 3.059552216

The R square value states that the Independent variables explain 2.01% of the variance in
the dependent variable.

Anova

df SS MS F Significance F

Regression 1 141.0307673 141.0307673 15.06600578 0.000113163

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Residual 734 6870.871067 9.360859764

Total 735 7011.901834

The Significance F represents the significance of the entire model. Since the value is <0.05, we
can conclude that the model is statistically significant.

Coefficients Standard t stat p-value Lower 95% Upper 95% Lower 95.0%
Error

Intercept 3.2216 0.1774 18.4631 8.2650 2.8790 3.5641 2.8790

Hours per 0.1446 0.0372 3.88149 0.0001 0.0714 0.2178 0.071

day(x)

From the above table, we can say that;

Based on the obtained results the number of hours per day spent listening to music is a
significant variable as p value<0.05.

1. Intercept β1= 3.2216

The number of hours per day spent listening to music in absence of the independent variable.

2. β2=0.1446
1-unit of increase in the intensity of insomnia a person experiences on the likert scale leads to a
.01446 hours per day increase in listening to music.This means that an individual is bound to listen
to music more as their inability to sleep increases. Music seems to be a potential coping mechanism
that some individuals with insomnia might adopt to help them fall asleep. However, the effectiveness
of music as a remedy can vary from person to person.

B. Correlation Coefficient
1. Effect of the number of hours that one listens to music for and depression

Correlation Coefficient between number of hours and Depression

Computation: We have computed correlation coefficients using excel

Correlation coefficient: 0.110527

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Interpretation of Correlation:- There is a weak positive correlation (0.1) between number of hours
and depression levels. Although this result depicts that listening to music has a slight impact in
increasing depression levels, we can conclude that music is not a real remedy to cure depression. It
may help in easing mental illnesses for a short period of time but cannot be used as a permanent
cure.

2. Effect of Correlation Coefficient the between Bpm(beats per minute)of music and
anxiety

Computation: We have computed the correlation coefficient (r) using excel

Correlation coefficient: 0.02705

Interpretation of Correlation:- The correlation coefficient of 0.02705( ≈ 0) is indicative that there

fails to exist a relationship between the bpm of music and levels of anxiety.
This independent relationship is backed by data from another survey on ”The Effect of Music Tempo
on the Psychophysiological Measures of Stress” by Briana Brownlow which basically stated that
there is no effect of music tempo on heart rate.

C. Chi-square test of Independence

The chi-square test is a statistical hypothesis test used to determine if there is a significant
association between two categorical variables.

We conducted two chi-square tests at 5% level of significance to analyse the following

aspects.

1. Do people who listen to music while they work see an impact of music on their
mental health?
2. Does heavy music affect mental health?
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A. Since ‘work’ is generally associated with ‘stress’, we use it to understand whether

music is a stress reliever. Let X be ‘music has been listened to during work’ and Y be
“the effect on mental health.”

Ho: X and Y are independent.

H1: There is an association between X and Y.

Contingency table

Respondents that Respondents that don’t Totals

Y\X listen to music listen to music during
during work work
Improve 449 92 541
Worsen 11 6 17
No effect 121 56 558
Totals 581 154 735

Pearson's Chi-squared test

X-squared = 374.67, df = 2, p-value < 2.2e-16

p-value < 0.05: The p-value is clearly less than 0.05. So, we reject the null hypothesis (H0)
There is sufficient evidence to support H1 i.e There is a statistically significant association
between listening to music while working and its impact on mental health. In other words, the
genre of music you listen to while working can affect your mental health. Based on our
chi-square test results, we can suggest that people who listen to music while they work
are more likely to experience an impact on their mental health compared to those who
don't.

People who listen to music while working see an impact on their mental health.

B. Let R be ‘Genre of Music’ and Q be “the effect on mental health.”

To draw a conclusion on this, we chose two of the ‘heavy music’ genres i.e. rock and metal
as the genres to examine.

Ho: R and Q are independent.

H1: There is an association between R and Q.

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Contingency table

Rock & Metal Other Music Totals

Q\R

Improve 193 416 609

Worsen 7 10 17
No effect 76 122 626
Totals 276 548 824

Pearson's Chi-squared test

X-squared = 3.4642, df = 2, p-value = 0.1769

p-value > 0.05: The p-value is 0.1769. This suggests that there is not enough evidence to
reject the null hypothesis and we fail to find a statistically significant association between
rock & metal and mental health. However, this does not rule out the possibility of individual
experiences varying, and some individuals may still perceive a connection between their
music preferences and mental health. Additionally, the lack of significance in this analysis
could be influenced by factors such as sample size, demographics, or the specific measures
used.

D. Yule’s Coefficient of Association

We found Yules Coefficient of Association to find whether those respondents who were
instrumentalists saw an impact on their mental health.

Instrumentalists Non-Instrumentalists Totals

Improve 188 352 540

Worsen 4 13 17
No effect 43 132 557
Totals 235 497 732

Q= 0.2689512.

This suggests a relatively weak positive association between our two categorical variables.
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Effect of music on mental health (According to the survey)

With respect to the responses received from the survey, out of the 736 respondents, 544
(76%)of them have stated that listening to music has improved their mental health condition
while the remaining 192 (24%) say that there was no such effect.

Conclusion

The findings suggest a significant connection between music consumption and mental health
outcomes. Regression analysis indicates that an increase in insomnia levels corresponds to
heightened hours spent listening to music, emphasising music's potential role as a coping
mechanism. Furthermore, our correlation analysis shows a positive but relatively weak
association between depression and the number of hours spent listening to music. The
chi-square tests reveal a noteworthy relationship between listening to music during work and
its impact on mental health. However, the study did not find substantial evidence linking
specific music genres, such as rock and metal, to mental health.

In conclusion, this research contributes valuable insights into the complex interplay between
music and mental well-being. It highlights the potential of music as a therapeutic tool and
emphasises its significance in improving mental health conditions. Despite some limitations
in quantifying qualitative data and accounting for external factors, this study provides a
foundation for further exploration in the field of music therapy and its effects on mental
health.

From a broader perspective,we can conclude that music is not a real remedy to cure
depression. It may help in easing mental illnesses for a short period of time but cannot be
used as a permanent cure.
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Limitation of the study and possible future studies

Qualitative Data: Bias: Since this was a medical study, a lot of the variables
analysed were qualitative so it became difficult to quantify the data and draw
conclusions.

Bias: Participants may have difficulty accurately recalling their experiences or

emotions related to music, particularly if they are asked about events that occurred in
the past. Since our data was dependent on a questionnaire that had subjective
responses, biases could be present.

Complexity of Mental Health Issues: Mental health is a multifaceted and complex

topic. There are various disorders, each with different symptoms and manifestations.
It can be challenging to capture this complexity in a statistical analysis.

External Factors: There may be external factors (e.g., concurrent therapies,

medications, lifestyle changes) that could influence our respondents' mental health,
which are difficult to control for in a statistical study.
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References

1. Rebecchini, L. (2021). Music, mental health, and immunity. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity
- Health, 18, 100374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100374

2.Mössler, K., Chen, X., Heldal, T. O., & Gold, C. (2011). Music therapy for people with
schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004025.pub3

3.Google Scholar. (n.d.).

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?journal=South.+Med.+J.&title=Music+as+the
rap
y&author=K.J.+Kemper&author=S.C.+Danhauer&volume=98&issue=3&publication_year=
2005&pages=282-288&pmid=15813154&

4. Lee, J., & Thyer, B. A. (2013). Does music therapy improve mental health in Adults? A
review. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 23(5), 591–603
https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2013.766147

5. Woodruff , R. W. (2017). The Effect of Music Tempo on the Psychophysiological.

Continuum Undergraduate Research Journal. The Effect of Music Tempo on the
Psychophysiological ...Robert W. Woodruff Libraryhttps://radar.auctr.edu › object › OBJ ›
download
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Working

Chi square

Methodology: On excel, we filtered the necessary columns to make it suitable for our study.
Then, we constructed a contingency table by using the countifs function followed by which
we ran the data on R to obtain the chi-square value. The workings have been attached below.

Yule’s coefficient of association

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Regression-

Questionnaire

1. Respondent's age

2. Respondent's primary streaming service

3. Number of hours the respondent listens to music per day

4. Does the respondent listen to music while studying/working?

5. Does the respondent play an instrument regularly?

6. Does the respondent compose music?

7. Respondent's favourite or top genre

8. Does the respondent actively explore new artists/genres?

9. Does the respondent regularly listen to music with lyrics in a language they are not fluent in?

10. Beats per minute of your favourite genre?

11. Self-reported depression, on a scale of 0-10

12. Self-reported insomnia, on a scale of 0-10

13. Self-reported OCD, on a scale of 0-10

14. Does music improve/worsen respondent's mental health conditions?

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