Music engagement and well-being in Chinese adolescents: Emotional awareness, positive emotions, and negative emotions as mediating processes

The present study investigated the mediating processes of emotional awareness, positive emotions, and negative emotions between music engagement and well-being among Chinese adolescents. Through a process-oriented approach, the association between music engagement activities, including music listening, music instrument playing, and music training, and adolescents’ functioning were examined. A total of 1,318 Chinese adolescents at 12–15 years of age were recruited from secondary schools in Hong Kong. Findings based on structural equation modeling provided differential support for the association between music engagement and adolescents’ well-being. As cognitive and affective processes, both emotional awareness and emotions mediated between music training and well-being. Positive and negative emotions also mediated between music listening and adolescents’ well-being. Surprisingly, music instrument playing was not associated with emotional awareness, positive or negative emotions, or well-being. These findings supported previous frameworks and call attention to the emerging mechanisms underlying music engagement and well-being in adolescence.