Are the psychological benefits of choral singing unique to choirs? A comparison of six activity groups

The present study compared the psychological well-being of choral singers to those who took part in five other activities: solo singers, band / orchestra members, solo musicians, team sport players and solo sport players. These comparison groups were chosen because they each share (or lack) three key features of choral singing: (1) singing; (2) the production of music; and (3) membership of a social group or team. 194 participants completed an online questionnaire to assess their well-being and the extent to which their chosen activity satisfies their psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Analysis indicated that participants who sang in a choir reported similar levels of psychological well-being, happiness, anxiety, depression and self-esteem to those who took part in the other five leisure activities. Significant differences were found on measures of autonomy and relatedness, but participants in all six groups also reported experiencing similar levels of competence when engaged in their chosen leisure activity. These findings suggest choral singing may not be uniquely beneficial and any leisure activity that offers opportunities for improvement, mastery of a new skill or a sense of accomplishment might have a positive effect on our psychological well-being