Wellness resources at postsecondary music schools: a survey of how this information is being offered

Musicians have the potential to experience health problems related to their

profession. The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) requires schools to

provide information about wellness. There are 634 degree-granting, not for profit, NASM

accredited postsecondary music schools in America. This study examined the types of

wellness resources offered at 387 of these schools or 60%. Wellness information was

divided into three categories: physical, psychological and hearing. The types of resources

offered, category of information and the size of the school were considered. Schools were

emailed and their websites were searched for wellness information.

Forty-eight percent of the schools had website information, 32% offered wellness

workshops, 16% of the schools offered wellness courses, and 32% of the schools covered

wellness information through other methods. Nineteen percent of the schools said that

they did not offer courses or workshops and did not say how they are meeting the

requirement. Physical wellness information was most widely available, followed by

hearing information, while psychological wellness information was harder to find.

Smaller schools were less likely to offer wellness courses but otherwise the size of a

school did not play a significant role in the types of wellness resources they were able to

offer.

Based on the findings, more schools should incorporate wellness information on

their websites and hold wellness workshops. Psychological wellness information should

be more widely available. Schools should advertise the wellness information that they

offer so that students are aware of the options available to them.