Mount Sinai Study Advances “Social Music” as a Prescription for Better Health Outcomes
Peer-reviewed paper outlines a scalable model for improving well-being through shared musical experiences
New York, NY, March 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Researchers from the Mount Sinai Health System have published a peer-reviewed paper defining and advancing “social music” as an innovative evidence-based approach to improving health and well-being.
The study was co-authored by Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, Director of The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and eight-time Grammy Award–winning musician Jon Batiste. It was published in March 2026 in Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy.
Titled “Social Music as a Prescription for Maintaining Wellness,” the paper introduces a framework for using shared musical experiences as a “social prescription”—a non-medical intervention designed to improve health outcomes, particularly for individuals experiencing or at risk for depression. The research builds on findings from the Assessment of Music Experiences in Navigating Depression (AMEND), a National Endowment for the Arts-supported research lab led by Dr. Loewy. The initiative examines how individual, group, and blended music experiences can positively impact well-being among people with depression or those at elevated risk.
“While technological advances have transformed how we connect, many people are increasingly isolated, with limited opportunities for meaningful social engagement—conditions that can negatively affect health,” said Dr. Loewy, Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “In parts of Europe, music is already used as a social prescription. Our work defines a model—social music—that demonstrates how intentional, shared musical experiences can meaningfully influence health outcomes.”
Originally developed by Mr. Batiste, “social music” refers to participatory, culturally rooted musical experiences that foster connection, expression, and collective release. The model emphasizes elements such as call and response, shared movement, and interactive performance, creating a dynamic dialogue between participants.
“This is a meaningful step forward in recognizing the longstanding connection between music and healing,” said Mr. Batiste. “Across cultures and generations, music has been a source of strength, connection, and renewal. Bringing that wisdom into modern medicine through research and clinical practice reflects the dedication of leaders like Joanne Loewy and her colleagues.”
Dr. Loewy and her team continue to expand research through the AMEND initiative, exploring how music-based interventions can be more widely integrated into clinical and community settings.
“Our goal is to help medical, educational, and community organizations better understand and adopt the potential of music as a tool for health,” Dr. Loewy said. “Social music offers a scalable, inclusive approach to fostering connection and improving well-being.”
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 10 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2025-2026.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
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