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Behavioral Sciences
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The Impact of Music on Individual and Social Well-Being
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The Impact of Music on Individual and Social Well-Being

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2025 | Viewed by 4239

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Helena Ferreira Rodrigues

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-032 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: art in infancy and childhood; vocal development and singing acquisition; self-expression and free improvisation; sound healing; music in the communities
Dr. Ana Isabel Lemos do Carmo Pereira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-032 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: musical learning and development across the life span; art in infancy and childhood; music in the communities; music and environment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is recognition that music impacts both individual and social well-being, influencing various aspects of our lives in significant ways. We cherish that music can nurture individuals and communities, promoting a healthier, more connected society. Notably, it fosters emotional and psychological health, contributes to physical well-being, and strengthens social bonds.

Research has shown that musical interventions can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression; alleviate stress; improve mood; enhance the immune system, cognitive function, and motor skills; and foster social connections in different settings. Music can elicit emotional responses and facilitate coping mechanisms by engaging the brain’s reward and emotion centers, making it a valuable tool in clinical and non-clinical settings.

This Special Issue aims to bring together original contributions, empirical and theoretical, that can broaden and summarize knowledge of the relationship between music and well-being in all its facets. We welcome all submissions related to music interventions in community settings across the lifespan (e.g., non-formal and formal education, care/nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, homeless shelters, and disadvantaged groups, including migrants, refugees, people with disabilities, mental illness, or isolated persons) from an interdisciplinary perspective where music intersects with psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, linguistics, medicine, music therapy, and sociology, among others. Music interventions may include listening, singing, playing, moving, and/or creating.

Dr. Helena Ferreira Rodrigues
Dr. Ana Isabel Lemos do Carmo Pereira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • music
  • well-being
  • community music
  • lifespan
  • music interventions
  • sound vibrations

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1094 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Choir Singing on International Students’ Sense of Belonging, Loneliness, and Wellbeing: A Controlled Evaluation of UQ Voices
by Rong Han, Vicki Bos, Fiona Wiebusch, Mary C. Broughton and Genevieve A. Dingle
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050575 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 340
Abstract
International students beginning university face challenges, including loneliness and isolation. Research shows that choir singing can enhance social bonds and emotional wellbeing. However, its effect on international students remains underexplored. This study applied a social identity perspective to evaluate the impact of participation [...] Read more.
International students beginning university face challenges, including loneliness and isolation. Research shows that choir singing can enhance social bonds and emotional wellbeing. However, its effect on international students remains underexplored. This study applied a social identity perspective to evaluate the impact of participation in a university community choir on international students’ university identification (i.e., sense of belonging), loneliness, and wellbeing. A non-randomised controlled study was conducted with 53 international students at UQ, including 31 UQ Voices choir members (Mage = 24.90, 71.0% female) and 22 non-choir students (Mage = 24.18, 72.7% female). Participants completed measures of university identification, loneliness, and wellbeing at baseline (pre) and after 6–8 weeks (post), along with group-based psychosocial resources measures. Data were analysed using 2 (choir, control) × 2 (pre, post) ANOVAs. A significant interaction effect emerged for university identification (sense of belonging), with choir participants improving more than controls. A main effect of group emerged for wellbeing, with choir members reporting higher wellbeing. No significant effects for loneliness, which was not elevated at baseline. Choir identification was significantly related to psychosocial resources (self-esteem, control, meaning and purpose, and mood improvement). Choir singing may serve as a preventative intervention to support international students’ wellbeing by fostering a stronger sense of belonging in the new university and country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Music on Individual and Social Well-Being)
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12 pages, 472 KiB  
Article
Personality Traits of Choral Singers and Their Association with Perceived Mental Well-Being
by Sibylle Robens, Alexandra Monstadt, Alexander Hagen and Thomas Ostermann
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050570 - 23 Apr 2025
Viewed by 309
Abstract
Previous research indicates that choir singing enhances mental well-being. This study explores whether these well-being benefits are related to the personality traits of singers. We assessed the personality traits of 760 German amateur choral singers (205 men, 555 women, mean age 47.1 ± [...] Read more.
Previous research indicates that choir singing enhances mental well-being. This study explores whether these well-being benefits are related to the personality traits of singers. We assessed the personality traits of 760 German amateur choral singers (205 men, 555 women, mean age 47.1 ± 14.0 years) using a 30-item version of the NEO–Five–Factor Inventory and compared them with a representative population sample. General mental well-being was measured with the WHO-5 well-being index, and perceived mental health benefits from singing were evaluated using the Bochum Change Questionnaire (BCQ-2000). Regression analyses examined the relationship between personality traits, BCQ-2000, and WHO-5 well-being scores. Choral singers scored significantly higher than the general population on extraversion, openness to experience, and agreeableness. The WHO-5 scores of choir singers were significantly positively correlated with extraversion and conscientiousness, and negatively with neuroticism. BCQ-2000 scores were significantly positively associated with extraversion, openness, and agreeableness. In this exploratory study, we examined the association between personality traits and singing-related mental well-being without accounting for other potential sociodemographic confounders of mental health, such as socioeconomic status. The study suggests that the self-reported mental well-being benefits of singing are influenced by individual personality traits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Music on Individual and Social Well-Being)
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15 pages, 269 KiB  
Article
The Association between Music Listening at Home and Subjective Well-Being
by Xin Shan, Yan Zhang, Jie Deng, Haixia Ma and Xiaoxi Hu
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14090767 - 2 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2693
Abstract
This study examines the association between listening to music at home and subjective well-being, using data from 14,162 respondents in the China General Social Surveys conducted in 2015, 2017, and 2021. Among the respondents, the average happiness score was 3.958. Regression analyzes indicate [...] Read more.
This study examines the association between listening to music at home and subjective well-being, using data from 14,162 respondents in the China General Social Surveys conducted in 2015, 2017, and 2021. Among the respondents, the average happiness score was 3.958. Regression analyzes indicate that frequent music listening is significantly associated with higher happiness levels, with coefficients of 0.384 in the baseline model and 0.570 in the model with control variables. Robustness checks performed across different models support these findings. Instrumental variable analysis, using Mandarin proficiency, yielded a coefficient of 0.212, indicating a robust association despite a slight reduction in magnitude. Heterogeneity analyzes showed consistent associations across genders, religious beliefs, and regions, with slightly stronger associations observed for females and non-religious individuals. Mediation analysis identified mental health and class identity as significant mediators, contributing to a total association of 0.146. These results highlight the positive correlation between music listening and well-being, suggesting the potential value of integrating music resources into well-being strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Music on Individual and Social Well-Being)
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