Discovering the Self in Music: A Music Psychology Review on Self-Identity Formation in Adolescents Experiencing Psychological Distress

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-551-5_109How to use a DOI?

Keywords

music psychology; adolescence; self-awareness; identity formation; psychological distress

Abstract

Adolescence, as a critical stage of human development, is characterized by significantly increased vulnerability to mental health issues (such as depression, social anxiety, and behavioral problems) and faces key challenges in forming a stable sense of self-identity. Approximately 10–20% of adolescents worldwide experience mental health issues, and traditional intervention measures often lack personalized support. Therefore, exploring easily accessible tools such as music has become crucial. This study employs a literature review and case analysis methodology to examine how music influences adolescents’ emotional processing mechanisms and self-identity development. The research explores the therapeutic applications of music in alleviating psychological distress (such as social anxiety) and promoting a sense of belonging (such as among transgender adolescents). By clarifying the role of music in enhancing emotional regulation, self-expression, and social connection, this study provides a theoretical basis for adolescent mental health interventions and emphasizes the importance of conducting inclusive, long-term research to advance music-based support practices.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Ziyi Wu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/26
TI  - Discovering the Self in Music: A Music Psychology Review on Self-Identity Formation in Adolescents Experiencing Psychological Distress
BT  - Proceeding of 2025 8th International Conference on Humanities Education and Social Sciences (ICHESS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1003
EP  - 1009
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-551-5_109
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-551-5_109
ID  - Wu2026
ER  -