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Understanding the Influence of Music on People’s Mental Health Through Dynamic Music Engagement Model

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Information for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Physicality, Inclusivity (iConference 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 13971))

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Abstract

Research shows that music helps people regulate and process emotions to positively impact their mental health, but there is limited research on how to build music systems or services to support this. We investigated how engagement with music can help the listener support their mental health through a case study of the BTS ARMY fandom. We conducted a survey with 1,190 BTS fans asking about the impact BTS’ music has on their mental health and wellbeing. Participants reported that certain songs are appropriate for specific types of mood regulations, attributed largely to lyrics. Reflection, connection, and comfort were the top three experiences listeners shared during and after listening to BTS’ music. External factors like knowledge about the context of a song’s creation or other fans’ reactions to a song also influenced people’s feelings toward the music. Our research suggests an expanded view of music’s impact on mental health beyond a single-modal experience to a dynamic, multi-factored experience that evolves over time within the interconnected ecosystem of the fandom. We present the Dynamic Music Engagement Model which represents the complex, multifaceted, context-dependent nature of how music influences people’s mental health, followed by design suggestions for music information systems and services.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-ferry-idUSKBN0NJ07R20150428.

  2. 2.

    https://doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/two-three/.

  3. 3.

    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/new-bts-song-2021-worlds-biggest-band-1166441/.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Arpita Bhattacharya, Uba Backonja, Anh Le, Ria Antony, Yujia Si & Jin Ha Lee

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  1. Arpita Bhattacharya
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  2. Uba Backonja
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  3. Anh Le
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  4. Ria Antony
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  5. Yujia Si
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  6. Jin Ha Lee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jin Ha Lee .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. iSchool Organization, Berlin, Germany

    Isaac Sserwanga

  2. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Anne Goulding

  3. University of Missouri, Chicago, IL, USA

    Heather Moulaison-Sandy

  4. University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Jia Tina Du

  5. University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    António Lucas Soares

  6. Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Viviane Hessami

  7. University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Rebecca D. Frank

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Bhattacharya, A., Backonja, U., Le, A., Antony, R., Si, Y., Lee, J.H. (2023). Understanding the Influence of Music on People’s Mental Health Through Dynamic Music Engagement Model. In: Sserwanga, I., et al. Information for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Physicality, Inclusivity. iConference 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13971. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28035-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28035-1_8

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