University Students’ Use of Music as Academic Stress Coping Strategy during COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the level of academic stress among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and how music was utilized as a stress coping strategy. Methods For this study, a survey was developed and administered which included closed and open-ended questionnaires. The data were collected from college students at two universities over a two-week period in May 2022. Quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis in terms of how music was used to cope with their academic stress. Results The results showed that there was no significant difference among academic stress levels by gender, and majors. However, there was an evident increase in the use of music to cope with academic stress, specifically with challenges and boredom of online classes. From the content analysis, 79% of the participants reported an increase in musical behaviors, with music listening being the most common. Among the many benefits of music listening, they reported that the companionship of music during social distancing and the emotion regulation function of music were particularly salient. In conclusion, during COVID-19, college students have developed more strategic uses of music to cope with academic stress, which may also be useful for coping with other types of stressors. Conclusions The findings from this study provide insight into the academic stress levels of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential use of music as a stress coping strategy.