The Association Between Music Engagement and Self-Reported Mental Health

Music is widely used for mood regulation, stress relief, and social connection, but individuals differ in how music relates to their mental well-being. Using the public Music & Mental Health (MxMH) survey dataset (N = 736) hosted on Kaggle, this paper examines whether everyday music listening and perceived effects of music are associated with self-reported symptoms of depression and related concerns. Respondents reported average daily music listening (hours/day), several music-engagement characteristics, and symptom ratings for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) on 0–10 scales. Two research questions guided the analysis: (1) Is time spent listening to music associated with higher or lower depression scores? and (2) Do depression scores differ across participants who report that music improves, worsens, or does not affect their mental health? Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression, as well as nonparametric group comparisons (Kruskal–Wallis and Mann– Whitney U tests). Listening time showed a small positive association with depression (r = 0.111, p = 0.003). In a regression model adjusting for age and select listening-context variables, hours/day remained a modest predictor of depression (b = 0.089, p = 0.022), while age was negatively associated with depression (b = -0.028, p = 0.003). Depression scores differed across perceived music-effect groups (Kruskal–Wallis H = 13.40, p = 0.001), with the “worsen” group reporting higher depression than both the “improve” and “no effect” groups. Limitations include self-report measurement, cross-sectional design, and potential selection bias. Although several associations reached statistical significance, effect sizes were small, underscoring the need for cautious interpretation.