Ageing with attitude: Tune in to music for an emotional and psychological boost

A study from NUI Galway has found that older people are more likely to get an emotional and psychological boost from listening to music than younger adults, says Margaret Jennings.

LISTENING to music gives older Irish people a psychological boost and supports their ability to regulate their emotions, contributing towards wellbeing as they age.

Two thirds of those aged 60-85, who participated in research at NUI Galway, chose classical music pieces for dealing with stressful situations, but opted for popular or upbeat tracks to feel less socially isolated, or for connection with people from whom they had become separated through bereavement or migration.