DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2026.10746 ISSN: 0924-9338

The Impact of Musical Engagement on Mental Health: A Comparison Between Amateur Musicians, Professional Musicians, and Non-musicians

I. Ekmekci, M. H. Aksu, B. Coşar
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Introduction

The concept of “musicians’ health” has emerged as a specific field of study (Bonde et al. 2018). Amateur engagement with music or music listening has been repeatedly associated with beneficial effects on both physical and mental health (Theorell & Kreutz 2012).

Objectives

This study aimed to compare depression, anxiety, stress, somatization, and somatic symptom amplification levels among professional musicians, amateur musicians, and individuals with no involvement in music, in order to clarify whether different types of musical engagement influence mental health outcomes.

Methods

This descriptive study included three groups: (1) professional musicians whose occupation and livelihood depend on music, (2) amateur musicians engaged in music as a hobby, and (3) individuals who had never practiced music either professionally or as a hobby. Participants were recruited via online survey links. After informed consent, they completed a sociodemographic form, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), the Somatosensory Amplification Scale( SSAS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests.

Results

Sociodemographic characteristics are summarized in Table 1. As shown in Table 2, there were significant differences among groups in DASS-21 depression, anxiety, stress, SSAS, and PHQ-15 scores. Professional musicians had the highest mean scores across all measures.

Table 1.

Sociodemographic characteristics of participants

Table 1. Long description.

Variables
Amateur musicians (n=236)
Professional musicians (n=100)
Non-musicians (n=88)
Gender (F/M)
122 (52%) / 114 (48%)
32 (32%) / 68 (68%) 49 (56%) / 39 (44%)
Smoking
59 (25%) 31 (31%) 17 (19%)
Alcohol use
77 (32%) 36 (36%) 38 (57%)
Substance use
1 (0%) 2 (2%) 1 (1%)
Age (mean±SD)
47.57±14.35 42.06±15.26 46.51±12.68
Education (yrs)
16.84±3.53 16.45±3.79 18.15±3.02
Table 2.

Comparison of psychological measures between groups

Table 2. Long description.

Scale / Subscale
Amateur musicians
Professional musicians Non-musicians F p Post-hoc (Bonferroni)
PHQ-15 (somatization)
7.00±4.90
9.15±5.78 6.94±4.72 6.88 0.001 1–2 (p=0.001); 2–3 (p=0.009)
SSAS (Somatosensory Amplification)
23.43±6.68 26.03±7.03 24.01±6.85 5.78 0.003 1–2 (p=0.016); 2–3 (p=0.004)
DASS-21 Depression
4.82±3.77 6.34±4.47 4.88±3.80 5.50 0.004 1–2 (p=0.004)
DASS-21 Anxiety
2.97±2.64 4.79±3.64 3.22±2.89 13.49 <.001 1–2 (p<0.001); 2–3 (p=0.001)
DASS-21 Stress
5.50±3.41 6.86±4.10 5.48±3.50 5.40 0.005 1–2 (p=0.005)

Conclusions

Professional musicians demonstrated significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, somatization, and somatosensory amplification compared with both amateur musicians and non-musicians. Elevated somatization in this group is noteworthy and may be linked to comorbid stress, anxiety, and depression. Professional musicians may therefore represent a population at risk for psychosomatic conditions, highlighting the need for targeted preventive and therapeutic approaches.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

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