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Research Report

Elizabeth Cassidy Parker and

Elizabeth Hearn, editors

Potential Mental Health Benefits of Collaborative Ensemble Singing
for Female Adolescents

by Catherine Grimm

Research has shown that adolescent females are combat symptoms of anxiety and depression. Social
more at risk for anxiety and depression than their male stresses resulting from problematic relationships such
counterparts. This widespread mental health decline as conflicts with friends or rejection by classmates have
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has been exacerbated by the isolation and uncertain- been shown to be a predictor of depressive symptoms
ty caused by the pandemic. Many interventions have in adolescence, with which female adolescents have an
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been implemented for youth as a whole in the United even greater risk. When social stresses become chron-
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States, and some have focused on the female adolescent ic, they affect the dysregulation of physical, neurohor-
population. Participation in choral singing may be pro- monal, and biochemical operations and may cause
ductive for well-being because of its proven effects of anxiety, withdrawal, and depressive symptoms.
community building, emotional expression, and social Internalizing strong emotions is a socially groomed
connection. This review of literature seeks to uncover behavior placed upon female adolescents that presents
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how choral music educators may address anxiety, de- significant risks for their mental health. Girls are more
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pression, and stress in adolescent girls. Specifically, this likely than boys of the same age to perceive a larger
article explores the potential benefits of collaborative discrepancy between their current and ideal self while
ensemble singing as a tool for building mental health attempting to maintain academic and social expec-
and wellness in female adolescents. In this article, the tations. In trying to close this uncomfortable gap be-
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term “adolescence” refers to the general ages of chil- tween the current and the ideal self, anxiety, somatic
dren between twelve to eighteen years old. problems, and eating disorders may manifest. Female
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inclination toward internalized, repetitive focus on
these issues is correlated with anxiety, depression, and
Mental Health in Female Adolescents decreased well-being. Laura Finch et al. state, “De-
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By adolescence, females are twice as likely to expe- spite the challenges of measuring…‘soft’ outcomes
rience anxiety and depression than males. This is due like self-esteem and resilience, it is clear that a focus
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in large part to biological developments and societal on ‘hard’ outcomes alone [i.e., grades, test scores] will
expectations specific to female adolescents. Biological- not work.” The need for mental health interventions
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ly, numerous hormonal changes cause girls to have a for adolescent girls has never been higher, with symp-
lower rate than males of instrumental coping skills to toms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness significantly

CHORAL JOURNAL June/July 2025 Volume 65 Number 9 29