Looking Within: An Investigation of Music Education Majors and Mental Health

Abstract

The primary purpose of this article was to establish the current state of mental health among music education majors. Music education majors across the United States (N = 1137) self-reported indicators of depression, anxiety, and stress. According to the results, music education majors are highly busy, enrolling in an average of 16.5 credit hours (not including zero-credit courses) and rehearsing 9.75 hours a week; a majority of them also work for an average of 13 to 15 hours a week. Participants reported elevated levels of stress, with 57% exhibiting moderate to severe depression and over 70% exhibiting moderate to severe anxiety. We discuss the findings, provide implications for music teacher education, and share suggestions for future research.

Keywords

anxiety depression mental health music education music teacher education

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