Submitter:
Ahead of World Mental Health Day (10 October), the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has released key findings from recent research into music and mental health.
Asking a nationally representative sample of 2,110 adults, the survey found that:
- 71% of people who listened to orchestral music during home isolation cited tangible and lasting positive impacts on their mood and wellbeing
- A third said it helped them to relax and maintain a sense of calmness and wellbeing. Meanwhile, 18% said orchestral music had lifted their mood, and 14% said that it helped their productivity and concentration
- Those over 55 who had listened to orchestral music during lockdown were the most likely to say that it had had a positive impact on their mental health (72%). Almost half (49%) said it had helped them to remain calm, which was twice the proportion of those under 35. Meanwhile, a quarter (26%) said it had lifted their spirits
- Among those who described themselves as being a keen classical music and opera fan, the vast majority (89%) cited benefits of listening to orchestral music on their mental health
- More broadly, orchestral music was the genre that people were the most likely to turn to in order to relax and maintain a sense of calmness. Twice as many people turned to orchestral music to relax as those who turned to jazz (9%) or blues (10%), and three times as many who turned to gospel music (6%).
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