New Study Shows Link Between Excessive Music Listening And Depression In Teens

According to a recent study, adolescents who frequently listen to music on their iPods may be at an increased risk of developing depression. The use of personal music devices has become a common part of teenage culture, but this research suggests that excessive use may have negative mental health consequences.

According to research conducted by Dr. Brian Primack, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, adolescents who reported listening to music more frequently were more likely to experience major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to those who listened to music less often.

The study also found that for each increase in music consumption, there was an 80% higher risk of depression. These findings suggest that excessive music listening may be a risk factor for depression in teenagers, as opposed to other forms of media such as television and literature.

The study did not specifically measure the total amount of time teens spent listening to music, but based on previous research, it is believed that those in the highest-use group were likely to listen to music for at least four or five hours per day.

While the direction of causality remains unclear, lead researcher Dr. Brian Primack stated, "It is not clear whether depressed people begin to listen to more music to escape, or whether listening to large amounts of music can lead to depression or both."

This suggests that both the potential for music to serve as a coping mechanism for depression and the possibility of music contributing to the development of depression are areas of consideration.

On the other hand, the study found that reading books had a protective effect against depression, with each increase in reading time resulting in a 50% reduction in risk for adolescents.

This finding is particularly noteworthy as overall reading rates in the United States are declining while consumption of other forms of media is on the rise, according to Dr. Primack.

The research team conducted a two-month study involving 106 participants ranging in age from 7 to 17 years old, 46 of whom had been diagnosed with depression.

To accurately track media usage in real-time, the team made frequent phone calls to the participants on weekends to inquire about their consumption of various forms of media, including television, music, video games, the internet, magazines, and books.

The researchers found that, on average, participants were most likely to be watching movies or television (26% of the time) when contacted by the research team.

Music listening accounted for 9% of reported media usage, followed by internet use and video gaming at 6% each, and reading printed materials at 0.2%.

It is worth noting that due to the low number of individuals who reported using magazines or newspapers, these data were combined with those for books and analyzed as a single category referred to as "print media."

Past research has also identified potential links between depression and other forms of media such as television and video games.

A 2009 study led by Dr. Primack found that adolescents who watched more television were more likely to experience depression as adults compared to those who watched less.

While the current study did not find a similar association, the researchers suggest that further investigation is needed to clarify potential connections. In contrast, previous longitudinal studies have found that reading may have a protective effect on mental health, with teens who read more being less likely to become depressed as adults.

The current study also suggests that depression may limit the amount of time spent reading. Dr. Primack explained to WebMD, "We thought that when you are depressed, your brain is not functioning properly, making it more difficult to engage in activities that require higher levels of cognitive processing such as reading, compared to passive activities like watching television."