Empathy among this generation of students appears to be drastically lower than previous generations. Mental health empathy is inversely related to mental health stigma, and stigma persists as the most significant barrier to help-seeking among this population. Research suggests that pop songs that reference mental health difficulties may help to increase mental health empathy. This paper reports on an experimental test of music lyric and lyric video effects, comparing the influence of exposure to a pop song and lyric video with anxiety-themed lyrics, a pop song and lyric video without any mental health-themed lyrics, and a pop song instrumental and lyric video with no lyrics on female college students’ involvement – perceived personal connection – with the song and their peer mental health empathy. Results suggest that a single exposure to a pop song and visual lyric video with anxiety-themed lyrics can influence peer mental health empathy. Further, these findings indicate that song lyrics are a significant gateway to audience involvement in this context. This study’s findings are valuable to mental health communication practitioners struggling to reach female youth as empathetic reactions are often necessary to encourage positive health behavior change in the context of stigmatized health conditions, such as mental health.

这一代学生的同理心似乎远低于前几代。心理健康同理心与心理健康污名成反比，污名仍然是该人群寻求帮助的最重要障碍。研究表明，提及心理健康困难的流行歌曲可能有助于增加心理健康同理心。本文报道了一项音乐歌词和歌词视频效果的实验测试，比较了暴露于带有焦虑主题歌词的流行歌曲和歌词视频、没有任何心理健康主题歌词的流行歌曲和歌词视频以及流行歌曲的影响。歌曲器乐和歌词视频，没有关于女大学生参与的歌词 - 感知的个人联系 - 与歌曲及其同龄人的心理健康同理心。结果表明，单次接触流行歌曲和带有焦虑主题歌词的视觉歌词视频可以影响同伴心理健康同理心。此外，这些发现表明，歌词是在这种情况下观众参与的重要途径。这项研究的结果对于努力接触女性青年的心理健康沟通从业者来说很有价值，因为在心理健康等被污名化的健康状况下，通常需要移情反应来鼓励积极的健康行为改变。