Music during the pandemic, our emotional relief

John Lennon He admitted on several occasions that when he composed the song Help! I need someone for a movie – which was also the title of .’s fifth studio album the Beatles – He was exhausted, burdened with fame and needed to shout “Help!”

Music during a pandemic

Just as composing a melody acts as an emotional release for a musician, listening to other people brings them back to happy moments and puts them in difficult situations. This may be one of the reasons for that Reverend Martinez Castilla, a professor at the National University of Distance Education (UNED), along with scholars from twelve countries, chose the famous Beatles topic to name an investigation into the effects of Epidemic music.

Previous studies have shown that musical activity can occur Reduce stress and anxietyIt improves mood and facilitates social bonding, but so far little is known about its effect in isolation.

Through an online questionnaire, in his study, published by the magazine frontiers in psychology The international team interviewed more than 5,000 people about five variables of well-being during the toughest moments of this global crisis.

“During the full lock Martinez Castilla emphasizes to SINC that music has been a global tool for achieving well-being goals due to the COVID-19 coronavirus. This was the most effective activity for three of the five points analyzed: Enjoy and rest negative feelings and Contact with himself.

More effective than reading, watching soap operas, or eating

The research was conducted in eleven countries, six of which are defined as “collective cultures” –Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia and Mexicoكسي– and others classified as “individuals” –Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States-. The results were very similar in both.

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The only difference was related to a specific goal: Feeling alone with others. “For this goal, a greater efficacy of music was found in the collective culture, something that could be related to the greater importance of this type of emotion in that culture,” says the researcher.

The work also found a relationship between having and listening to symptoms related to anxiety, stress and depression pessimistic music. “Now, it is different between cultures. It seems that this relationship can only be explained in the collective by listening to the music it produces nostalgia for the past” Martinez Castilla adds.

The study revealed that music was more effective than other types of strategies — such as eating, watching soap operas and movies, reading or working — at achieving well-being goals. And the scientist adds: “Especially for enjoying and maintaining a good mood, venting negative feelings, getting rid of negative feelings, connecting with oneself and isolating oneself from the outside.”

armor for well-being

In a second investigation, Martinez Castilla leads Job focus only on Spain in which he conducted a large-scale survey to analyze the perceived effectiveness of music achieve goals related to well-being, through explicit questions to this effect. The studied goals were: venting and releasing negative emotions; Escape from the crisis. Enjoy and keep a good mood; Reduce loneliness and feeling close to people.

“It was based on previously obtained results about negative emotional consequences Incarceration in the Spanish population. According to these studies, the effect of confinement was greater in women and young adults, among other groups,” he points out.

In this other work it was observed that young man They realized the greater effectiveness of music for their well-being, without differences in this respect between men and women. “In young people, the negative consequences of confinement have been associated with their lower levels of resilience and the strong change that the COVID-19 crisis has imposed on their lives,” says Martinez Castilla.

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Also, People with music training They recognized the greater effectiveness of these activities in enhancing their well-being, “a result that can be explained by the importance they place on music in their lives,” he asserts.

Less effective with the most weak

Alberto Capedo More, a scientist from the University of Jaume I had the opportunity to serve as an external reviewer for the study of Martínez Castilla, also published in the same journal. other function About the uses of music during the spread of the epidemic in our country.

The study was conducted using a questionnaire MUSIFIED 19 It targets a total of 1,868 citizens. “The results indicate that during isolation, respondents noticed an increase in the time they spent on musical activities such as listening to singing, dance Or playing a musical instrument. Participants also reported that they used music to deal with confinement, as it helped them relax, escape, improve their mood or keep themselves company,” stress the researchers.

Likewise, they noted significant differences in the use and perception of music according to respondents’ personal attitudes. “Specifically in the use and perceptions of music in According to age and employment status‘ says the expert.

In this way, those surveyed who felt more vulnerable perceived the positive values ​​of music in a more moderate way. “The retired و He asserts that they have the lowest perception of the value of music compared to other groups.

In fact, the use of New digital technologies It is another of the barriers that I encountered Elderly. This is evidenced by a study by Anna Mercedes Vernia Carrasco, researcher at the University of Barcelona and trumpeter, who highlights the importance of Musical activity in people aged 65 to 87But he warns of the problems they face.

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When it comes to seniors, we find two difficulties: using and accessing technology and the challenge of musical activity. It concludes that the difficulties are exacerbated when there is a vulnerability situation such as the one that has arisen since COVID-19.”

However, online festivals, neighborhood shows, viral music videos, and go-to jingles have made this pandemic nightmare all the more bearable, which is slowly coming to an end with the summer’s best outcome: vaccinations.

Online music in the face of children’s stress

Little ones can also get help from music to improve their well-being. Investigation Conducted by the University of Francisco de Victoria (UFV) with primary school students evaluated the impact of Song Online and techniques the mind To address the anxiety problems resulting from confinement due to the epidemic.

“distance Eight weeks of practice, all negative levels were significantly reduced, although the results should be viewed with caution,” notes SINC Gemma Ruiz VarelaResearcher at the UFV College of Education and Psychology. “The older the primary school children are, the more sessions are applied and monitored,” says the researcher.

(Information: Eva Rodríguez/SINC Agency)

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