Differences in experiencing well-being in youth choir singers regarding (in)formal participation

Choral singing is a widely practiced form of group music-making that has been associated with various positive well-being outcomes. While existing research highlights its benefits for adults and clinical populations, how choir participation affects healthy youth is explored to a lesser extent. This quantitative study examined differences in well-being between informal (extracurricular) and formal (school) youth choir singers in Slovenia and Serbia. A total of 274 choir members aged 15–24 completed an online questionnaire, including extracurricular (n = 77) and school (n = 197) singers. Standardized instruments tested general well-being (WHO-5), life satisfaction (SWLS), positive mental health (MHC-SF), emotional states in choir and in life (PANAS), social support (SPS-10), and perceived benefits from choral singing (CAPBES). Findings revealed that extracurricular choir singers reported significantly higher social connectedness and overall well-being subscales related to perceived benefits from choir participation, and passion in life, compared with school choir singers. School members had higher scores in subscale self-disgust within the negative affect in life scale. Positive and negative emotions within choir were similar for both groups. No significant differences were observed in life satisfaction, mental health, and social support in life. These results indicate that voluntary, informal (extracurricular) choir participation is associated with enhanced well-being, stronger social benefits, and higher positive emotions in life, compared with formal (school) choir participation. Integrating more voluntary choir opportunities into educational and community programs may increase inclusion and provide positive youth development.