Group Rumination: Social Interactions Around Music in People with Depression

Abstract

One of the most important roles that music serves in human society is the promotion of social relationships and group cohesion. In general, emotional experiences tend to be amplified in group settings through processes of social feedback. However, previous research has established that listening to sad music can intensify negative emotions in people with tendencies to rumination and depression. This study therefore investigated the phenomenon of ruminating with music, and the question of whether listening to sad music in group settings provides social benefits for emotionally vulnerable listeners, or whether it further exaggerates depressive tendencies. Participants recruited via online depression groups and mental health websites were surveyed as to music listening habits. Results revealed that people with depression were more likely to engage in “group rumination” using music, and that this behavior could be partially explained by a general tendency to ruminate using music. Both affective states and coping styles were found to be related to the affective outcomes of group interactions around music. These findings go some way toward clarifying the situations in which group interactions around music are able to provide important social benefits for those involved, and situations in which negative emotions can be amplified by the group context.

Music Use for Mood Regulation: Self-Awareness and Conscious Listening Choices in Young People With Tendencies to Depression

“…Participants were recruited from among people who had taken part in an online survey and had indicated their interest in being involved in further research (Garrido et al, 2017). Initially, 615 people participated in the survey and were asked to complete the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS; Henry and Crawford, 2005) and the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ; Trapnell, 1997).…”

Sad as a Matter of Evidence: The Desire for Self-Verification Motivates the Pursuit of Sadness in Clinical Depression

“…Some indirect evidence supports the assumption that depressed individuals engage with sad stimuli for self-verifying reasons. For instance, individuals with depression were shown to use sad music to engage in rumination (i.e., to intensify negative affect and to focus on negative thoughts and memories) (Garrido et al, 2017). Likewise, individuals with tendencies to depression expected that listening to sad music will benefit them in some way, for instance because it makes them think about past events in their life (Garrido and Schubert, 2015).…”

“…In sum, studies on the pursuit of sadness with a special focus given to clinical depression have revealed somewhat contradictory findings. Whereas one study (Yoon et al, 2019) suggests that listening to sad music in depressed individuals is related to hedonic benefits (i.e., calming effects), some indirect evidence (e.g., Wilhelm et al, 2013;Garrido et al, 2017) suggests that the deliberate engagement with sad music is related to instrumental benefits (i.e., a verifying self-perception).…”

Intentional music use to reduce psychological distress in adolescents accessing primary mental health care

“…This study builds on a series of research that highlights how flourishing young people typically use music to promote positive states of being, but those with mental health problems are more likely to use music in ways that intensify anger or sadness (Garrido, Eerola, & McFerran, 2017; McFerran, Garrido, O’Grady, Grocke, & Sawyer, 2014). A critical review of the literature showed that researchers of this topic tend to be either blindly positive or determinedly negative in their investigation into how music works with young people, leading to confirmation bias (McFerran, Garrido, & Saarikallio, 2013).…”