Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Mental Well-Being Among Music Students

Abstract

This mixed-methods study investigates the interplay between playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) and mental well-being among undergraduate music students in Türkiye. Quantitatively, PRMDs were assessed with the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) and mental well-being with the Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), alongside demographics and practice-behavior variables; descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were employed. Qualitatively, open-ended responses were examined via thematic analysis. Findings indicate that PRMDs cluster predominantly in the upper back, neck, and lower back, with string and keyboard players reporting higher discomfort. Single practice sessions exceeding 90 minutes were associated with significantly greater PRMD severity, whereas regular micro-breaks related to lower discomfort. A moderate negative correlation emerged between CMDQ totals and SWEMWBS scores (ρ≈–.41, p<.01). In binary logistic regression, mental well-being was the strongest inverse predictor of PRMD presence (each one-point increase ≈ 9% reduction in odds), while weekly total hours showed only a trend-level effect. Qualitative themes converged on physical limitation and fatigue, performance anxiety and emotional exhaustion, reduced concentration and expressive quality, adaptive coping and self-regulation, and transformation through awareness. Collectively, results support a biopsychosocial understanding of musician health and advocate integrating ergonomic instruction, break-structured practice, and somatic/breath-based awareness programs into music curricula to foster sustainable performance and psychophysical resilience.

Keywords

• Instrumental Practice
• mental well-being
• music education
• PRMD
• somatic awareness

Müzik Eğitimi Alan Öğrencilerin Çalgı Pratiği Kaynaklı Kas-İskelet Rahatsızlıkları ve Mental İyi Oluş Halleri

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de lisans düzeyinde müzik eğitimi alan öğrencilerde çalgı pratiğine bağlı kas-iskelet rahatsızlıkları (PRMD) ile mental iyi oluş arasındaki ilişkileri karma yöntem yaklaşımıyla incelemektedir. Nicel bileşende PRMD için Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), mental iyi oluş için Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) kullanılmış; demografik ve pratik alışkanlıkları içeren verilerle birlikte betimsel istatistikler ve parametrik olmayan testler yürütülmüştür. Nitel bileşende açık uçlu yanıtlar tematik analiz ile çözümlenmiştir. Bulgular, PRMD’nin başlıca üst sırt, boyun ve bel bölgelerinde yoğunlaştığını; yaylı ve piyano çalgılarında şikâyetlerin daha belirgin olduğunu göstermektedir. 90 dakikayı aşan tek oturumlar PRMD’yi anlamlı biçimde artırırken, düzenli mikro molalar daha düşük PRMD düzeyleriyle ilişkilidir. CMDQ toplam puanı ile SWEMWBS arasında orta düzeyde negatif ilişki (ρ≈–.41, p<.01) saptanmış; lojistik regresyon analizinde mental iyi oluş, PRMD varlığını anlamlı ve ters yönde yordayan en güçlü değişken olmuştur (her 1 puan artış ≈ %9 daha düşük olasılıkyıt). Nitel temalar, fiziksel sınırlılık-yorgunluk, performans kaygısı, dikkat/ifade azalması, uyumsal öz-düzenleme ve farkındalıkla dönüşüm başlıklarında bütünleşmiştir. Sonuçlar, müzik eğitiminde ergonomi, molaya dayalı çalışma yapıları ve somatik/nefes temelli farkındalık programlarının entegrasyonunu desteklemekte ve böylece sürdürülebilir performans için biyopsikososyal bir çerçeve önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Çalgı Pratiği
• mental iyi oluş
• müzik eğitimi
• PRMD
• somatik farkındalık

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