Music helps in times of crisis
Listening to music during the coronavirus lockdown has been associated with lower stress levels and improved mood, according to a study by an interdisciplinary research team at the University of Vienna.
More than 700 people from Austria and Italy took part in the large-scale everyday life study conducted by the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna on the topic of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a statement from the University of Vienna, the study took place from April to May 2020 during the first "hard" lockdown, in which strict exit restrictions and closures of schools, workplaces and leisure facilities were enforced in both countries.
Participants were given access to an app via a link, which they used to provide information on their current well-being and music listening behavior several times a day. This approach allowed the research team to gain realistic insights into their immediate everyday life during the lockdown and also made it possible to investigate the dynamic relationships between listening to music, stress and mood over time.
