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

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.