Beyond positive and negative trait affect: Flourishing through music engagement

Background: Mental health is not only the absence of mental illness, but also the presence of positive well-being. Music is often cited as an effective tool for regulating emotions and may also promote well-being because music facilitates one's ability to regulate the experience and expression of emotions. Methods: This study aimed to examine the pathways by which music use for cognitive and emotional regulation purposes may predict mental health outcomes, as measured by self-reports of well-being and negative emotional states, while controlling for trait affect. The mediating effects of emotion regulation were examined in a diverse sample of 565 working adults (126 male, 439 females) between the ages of 18 and 68 (M = 24.00, SD = 6.21). Results: Results demonstrated that music engagement for the purposes of cognitive and emotional regulation predicts flourishing in life, through the mediation pathway of cognitive reappraisal, even after controlling for trait affect.