Pilot study of an ecological momentary music intervention for stress reduction in Turkish immigrant women perceiving chronic ethnic discrimination

Perceived ethnic discrimination is a stressor that negatively affects mental and physical health. To address this issue, we tested the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an ecological momentary music intervention for stress reduction in everyday life in Turkish immigrant women perceiving chronic ethnic discrimination. Following an intra-individual randomized design, we combined subjective assessments and biological measures (salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase). Using a smartphone-based app, twenty participants responded to stress- and discrimination-related items four times a day for 35 days, and additionally reported each stressful/discriminatory event they perceived. Participants were then randomly instructed to listen to music or not. At each measurement time point, participants provided saliva samples. The feasibility of the ecological momentary music intervention was indicated by high usage rates of the app and participants’ positive self-reports. We found immediate (post 1: b = − 14.64, p =.045, post 2: b = − 14.62, p =.047) and intermediate (b = − 0.81, p <.001) effects of music listening on subjective stress levels but not on biological stress levels. Our study provides valuable insights into the potential of music listening for stress reduction in the everyday life of Turkish immigrant women perceiving chronic ethnic discrimination.