The Impact of Music on Students’ Perceived Academic Stress

This study aims to explore the impact of music on the perception of academic stress among students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education. A mixed-methods approach using a one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted with 20 psychology students selected via convenience sampling. In the quantitative phase, participants engaged in two primary activities: music listening and music performance; after each activity, students self-assessed their level of academic stress using the Subjective Units of Distress Scale - SUDs (TheraHive, 2024). Data were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests to determine changes in stress levels before and after the interventions. Concurrently, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to further elucidate the participants' subjective experiences. Quantitative results indicated that music listening significantly reduced perceived academic stress (p<0.05, d= 0.513). Qualitative findings indicated that both music listening and performance provided a sense of relaxation; however, the level of impact varied among individuals. Overall, the study suggests that music, particularly music listening, can be an effective method for reducing academic stress among students, and highlights the potential application of music-based interventions to support mental health in higher education contexts.

music, academic stress, perceived stress, mental health, university students

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