The impact of a focused listening experience on self-compassion and mental health help-seeking

Many people do not seek mental health support due to self-stigma; however, music can assist people in seeking support. Therefore, the present study explored how attending a focused music listening event might promote self-compassion and mindfulness and, in turn, how experiencing these might promote mental health help-seeking intentions. This case study focused on the Indigo Project's Listen Up event, in which participants engage with a curated music playlist (drawing on soundtrack, ambient and experimental music) along with oral guidance provided by a psychologist. After attending Listen Up, participants (N = 270, 85.90% female, Mage = 37.05) completed an online survey, including their attendance motivations and standardised measures of mindfulness, self-compassion, self-stigma of help-seeking, and help-seeking intentions. A subset of 18 participants were subsequently interviewed about their experience. Results indicated that attendees experienced feelings of mindfulness and self-compassion, processed challenging emotions during the event, and were prompted to practice self-care and connect with others following the event. Additionally, participants experiencing mindfulness during the event buffered the relationship between self-stigma of help-seeking and future help-seeking intentions. Study findings have implications for our understanding of the ways that music and mindfulness can be used in practices to promote mental health and well-being.