Intentional music use to reduce psychological distress in adolescents accessing primary mental health care

Abstract

Rationale: Many young people turn to music as a way of exploring and managing their moods and emotions. The literature is replete with studies that correlate music preferences and mental health, as well as a small but increasing interest in uses of music to promote well-being. Recent studies have shown that music use is often unconscious, thus difficult to influence without therapeutic conversations. No study has yet tested whether it is feasible to increase awareness of music use in young people who tend to ruminate with music, and test whether increased awareness can reduce distress. Design: This feasibility study aimed to determine whether involvement in a brief music-based intervention w..