Does Self-Compassion Moderate the Association Between Music-Specific Stress and Internalizing Symptoms?

Abstract

Music students are a high-risk population for mental health challenges due to the unique sources of stress they encounter. Previous work indicates that these music-specific stressors are associated with higher levels of internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression and anxiety). Consequently, further attention to protective assets and resources for music students is crucial. One construct that has garnered attention from scholars is self-compassion. Prior studies have documented benefits of self-compassion in reducing and attenuating the link between stress and internalizing symptoms. Yet, no study to date has considered whether self-compassion and its six subscales moderate the association between music-study stress and internalizing symptoms. The current study explored whether self-compassion and its six subcomponents moderate the relationship between music-study stress and internalizing symptoms among student musicians. Participants were 151 music students at a public university in the United States. We found a positive association between music-study stress and internalizing symptoms. In addition, results revealed that self-judgment and isolation moderated the link between music-study stress and anxious symptoms, such that at higher levels of self-judgment and isolation, music-study stress evinced stronger associations with anxious symptoms than at lower levels of the two. We discuss the rationales for our findings and practice implications.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Psychology of Music, 2026 · DOI ↗