Musical prescriptions for mood improvement : an experimental study

Background Music is used in a variety of health contexts for mood regulation purposes. However, while research demonstrates that self-selected music is most effective in using music to alter mood in a positive direction, some people, particularly those with tendencies to depression, may incline towards music that perpetuates a negative mood. Methods Participants were randomly assigned to Happy and Sad music groups and listened to a prescribed playlist for four weeks. Pre- and post- mood measures were taken as well as diaries of mood responses, which were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Results No long-term mood effects were observed. The affective impact was less positive for people with high scores in rumination. However, the diary-taking exercise raised participant awareness of mood impacts and increased deliberateness of music use in some participants. Conclusions Researcher-selected music is limited in effectiveness to a single listening session even where playlists are carefully designed to appeal to the sample. However, consciousness-raising programs may be effective in changing the long-term listening habits of people who for whom music choice is sub-optimal as a coping strategy.