A Comparison of Self-Reported Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among University Music Majors and Non-Music Majors: A Current Perspective

The purpose of this exploratory, descriptive quantitative study was to examine the perceived levels of depression, anxiety, and stress of university music majors and non-music majors and determine whether a statistical difference exists. We completed a replication-extension of a previous study in which data were collected in 2018. We sought to collect and compare data from a larger pool of participants across multiple institutions, including both undergraduate and graduate student participants, and compare results from before and after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. We distributed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 to music majors and non-music majors across two large, urban American universities. The total sample size was n = 423. Upon conducting a multivariate analysis of variance, results revealed significant differences based upon major and gender identification. Results from a Pearson’s chi-square test revealed statistically significant differences when comparing the presence of depression and anxiety among music majors pre-COVID and post-COVID.