Title | Mental health and music engagement: review, framework, and guidelines for future studies. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2021 |
Authors | Gustavson DE, Coleman PL, Iversen JR, Maes HH, Gordon RL, Lense MD |
Journal | Transl Psychiatry |
Volume | 11 |
Issue | 1 |
Pagination | 370 |
Date Published | 2021 06 22 |
ISSN | 2158-3188 |
Keywords | Anxiety, Humans, Mental Disorders, Mental Health, Music, Music Therapy, Quality of Life |
Abstract | Is engaging with music good for your mental health? This question has long been the topic of empirical clinical and nonclinical investigations, with studies indicating positive associations between music engagement and quality of life, reduced depression or anxiety symptoms, and less frequent substance use. However, many earlier investigations were limited by small populations and methodological limitations, and it has also been suggested that aspects of music engagement may even be associated with worse mental health outcomes. The purpose of this scoping review is first to summarize the existing state of music engagement and mental health studies, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. We focus on broad domains of mental health diagnoses including internalizing psychopathology (e.g., depression and anxiety symptoms and diagnoses), externalizing psychopathology (e.g., substance use), and thought disorders (e.g., schizophrenia). Second, we propose a theoretical model to inform future work that describes the importance of simultaneously considering music-mental health associations at the levels of (1) correlated genetic and/or environmental influences vs. (bi)directional associations, (2) interactions with genetic risk factors, (3) treatment efficacy, and (4) mediation through brain structure and function. Finally, we describe how recent advances in large-scale data collection, including genetic, neuroimaging, and electronic health record studies, allow for a more rigorous examination of these associations that can also elucidate their neurobiological substrates. |
DOI | 10.1038/s41398-021-01483-8 |
Alternate Journal | Transl Psychiatry |
PubMed ID | 34226495 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC8257764 |
Grant List | R01AA028411 / / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) / R03AG065643 / / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute on Aging (U.S. National Institute on Aging) / R03 AG065643 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States DP2HD098859 / / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) / DP2 HD098859 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States R21 DC016710 / DC / NIDCD NIH HHS / United States R61 MH123029 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States 1926794 / / National Science Foundation (NSF) / 1855526-38 / / National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) / R01 AA028411 / AA / NIAAA NIH HHS / United States |