The relationship between music-related mood regulation and psychopathology in young people

The aim of the present study was to investigate how music-related mood regulation relates to psychopathology – specifically depression, anxiety, and stress – in young people, through examining the nature of the relationships between individual music-related mood regulation strategies and psychopathology. The sample consisted of 146 (53 male and 93 female) university students aged between 17 and 24 years. Participants completed an online questionnaire addressing levels of psychopathology, music-related mood regulation behaviours, and personal music-related information. Results indicated that, as a whole, music-related mood regulation predicted levels of psychopathology. High use of the mood regulation strategy Discharge (venting of negative emotion through music) predicted high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress; Diversion (distraction from worries and stress) predicted high levels of anxiety and stress; and Entertainment (happy mood maintenance and enhancement) predicted low levels of depression. The results suggest that music-related mood regulation may perform a maladaptive function in certain individuals that promotes psychopathology; however, it is equally plausible that young people experiencing psychopathology are more likely to employ music in an attempt to reduce their symptoms. These are avenues for consideration in future research. The present study has practical implications for the use of music as a self-therapeutic resource and in the treatment of young people with psychopathology in music therapy settings.