A Comparative Study on Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Coping Strategies among Musicians and Non-Musician

Abstract

The current study sought to explore variations in mental health status and depression, anxiety, stress skills between individuals who engage in musical activities and those who do not. Mental health was assessed using the DASS21- Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (Lovibond & Lovibond,1995) while coping strategy was gauged using the CSI- Coping Strategy Inventory Carver et al. (1989). The findings indicated significant difference in depression, anxiety, stress between musicians and non-musicians, with musicians exhibiting notably lower levels in depression, anxiety and stress. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between musicians and non-musicians for any of the coping styles. This suggests that musicians and non-musicians tend to utilize similar coping strategies on average, regardless of their musical involvement Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies to understand the lifelong impact of musical engagement on depression, anxiety, stress, and coping. Combining self-reported data with physiological measures can offer a more objective assessment, while larger and more diverse samples would enhance generalizability. Furthermore, exploring neurophysiological mechanisms through brain imaging, examining music's role in different contexts and populations, and designing music-based interventions show promising avenues for promoting emotional well-being.