Music therapy is a growing area of study.
The majority of adults in the United States, close to 70% of them, listen to music at least once per day. A report released in 2017 by Nielsen Music, showed that Americans spend more than 32 hours a week listening to music. Thirty-two hours – that is an astonishing figure and shows a growth in music engagement that has never been seen before in the United States.
Americans, in particular, are spending more time listening to music than ever these days. Because of music streaming and other technological advances, people now have instant access to thousands of songs. With a simple touch of a button, you can be listening to your favorite artist in a matter of seconds. There are many theories on why more Americans (and people worldwide) are listening to more music. Still, the improvement in technology over the past few decades is undoubtedly the biggie. iPods, cell phones, laptops, smartwatches, and other devices make streaming music a breeze and give us unfettered access to any song or artist.
Another, not so popular theory that I have tossed around is that music is both a mood enhancer and mood stabilizer. Many people who listen to a particular genre of music are typically attracted to it because it takes them on what I call a “mood journey.” When you’re happy and play uplifting music, your mood becomes happier. If you’re sad and play somber music, your mood becomes sadder. When you’re working out and need a motivational kick in the ass and play loud, aggressive music, your mood is ignited.
See the trend?
Since many people are now listening to music, and because of music’s potential effect on mood, functioning, and even easing symptoms of various mental and emotional ailments, we see more interest in it as a source of possible treatment. But even with this knowledge, it’s rarely discussed as an accurate measure of healing mental illness and trauma.
But should it be?
MY EXPERIENCE WITH MUSIC
I can’t think of a single day in my adult life where I haven’t thought about music in some way, shape, or form.
It has gotten me through rough times, breakups, sadness, and grief. Music has brought me much joy and excitement while steadying the ship during stormy days. Music has greatly enhanced my life in almost every conceivable way, and because of it, I have been able to heal emotional wounds, find a safe space for my pain, and link up with new friends by sharing our passion for a particular artist or genre.
I can recall driving cross country twice in my late twenties, once solo and once with a friend, and blaring music the entire forty-hour trip. Every state, landmark, and tourist site is now associated with a song, band, or multiple artists. I cannot imagine those tips without the enhancement and excitement music brought to them.
There is a palpable energy to music, which can affect your mood, health, and perspective. Although we still don’t know everything, there is to know about the effects of music on the brain, and there is plenty of research to back up the claims I’ve just made.
Music has been around for centuries as a way for people to express themselves and share a form of communication different from anything else.
But can music be used as a form of therapy for depression and other mental illnesses and traumas?
Let’s start by digging into an area known as music therapy.
WHAT IS MUSIC THERAPY?
Music Therapy, as defined by The American Music Therapy Association, is the clinical (and evidence-based) use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.
Clients can receive Music Therapy to help address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. It is an established health profession that uses music to enhance the well-being of the client. Assessments are made on the client that defines their strengths and needs. Based on the information, a qualified music therapist will provide the treatment, which includes creating, singing, moving to, and listening to music.
Music therapy provides avenues for the client to strengthen and transfer abilities in other areas of their lives and help them communicate with music for those who find it hard to communicate using words.
Research within the field of music therapy lends to its effectiveness in many areas, including: overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement, providing emotional support for clients and their families, increasing people’s motivation to become engaged in their treatment, and providing an outlet for expression of feelings.
The idea of music as a healing influence that could affect both health and behavior has been around for centuries. The 20th-century version of music therapy began after World War I and World War II. Musicians of all types, both amateur and professional, would play at Veterans hospitals around the country for the thousands of veterans who were suffering from both physical and emotional trauma from the wars. The patients’ physical and emotional responses to the music were notable, and it led the doctors and nurses to request that the hospital hire musicians.
At this point, it was evident that these musicians needed the proper training before entering the Veteran facilities, so the college curriculum popped up around it. In 1944, the first music therapy degree program in the world was founded at Michigan State University. In 1998, The American Music Therapy Association was founded as a union of both the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music therapy.
MUSIC AS AN INSTRUMENT OF HEALING
Music therapy shows us that music can be used to heal various ailments, both physically and emotionally, and in people of all ages.
Joanne Loewy is the director of the Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy at Mount Sinai and the co-editor of the journal Music and Medicine. In a 2013 APA article, Loewy said:
“There’s just something about music — particularly live music — that excites and activates the body. Music very much has a way of enhancing quality of life and can, in addition, promote recovery.”
Music therapists and psychologists, including Loewy, are researching and investigating the use of music in medicine to help patients dealing with depression, pain, and even Alzheimer’s. The scope of music as a treatment stretches far and wide. Lisa Hartling, Ph.D., is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta and a lead author in one music therapy study, said:
“There is growing scientific evidence showing that the brain responds to music in very specific ways. Playing music for kids during painful medical procedures is a simple intervention that can make a big difference.”
In Singapore, music therapist Melanie Kwan of the Association for Music Therapy said:
“Active music engagement allowed the patients to reconnect with the healthy parts of themselves, even in the face of a debilitating condition or disease-related suffering. When their acute pain symptoms were relieved, patients were finally able to rest.”
There is research being done on the root of all musical sound, which is vibration. This research looks into a link between musical vibration and easing symptoms in such diseases as Parkinson’s, fibromyalgia, and depression. The type of music therapy-related to vibrations is called vibroacoustic therapy. A patient lies on a bed or mat or sits in a chair that is embedded with speakers that transmit vibrations at specific frequencies that can be both heard and felt.
MUSIC AND MOOD REGULATION
There is research that demonstrates how people can use music to improve their moods daily, both in music therapy (Maratos et al., 2009; Cheong-Clinch, 2013; Bibb and Skwews McFerran, 2018) and in everyday life (DeNora, 2000; Saarikallio, 2007; McFerran et al., 2015; Papinczak et al., 2015). But it also important to note that music isn’t a cure-all for everything, nor is it always helpful; other therapies and treatments may be necessary.
Depending on the individual, listening to music as well as music therapy can result in various outcomes depending on a plethora of factors. Individuals can listen to music to improve their symptoms and maintain or intensify a mood at any given time.
It looks as though people who suffer from depression are the most likely to use music to intensify a negative mood, yet they tend to be the least aware of this pattern.
This is problematic because an individual can become aware of that negative listening pattern, but can lose that awareness when a depressive state comes along and revert to old habits.
Using music as a mood stabilizer and influence is likely to be a popular strategy for many people experiencing mood fluctuations. Therefore, predicting when music is likely to be more or less helpful is critical to developing a healthy strategy for any individual.
MUSIC AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE
As we’ve learned so far, music can have a profound effect on the brain. Listening to music can help supplement or change moods, based on the individual and the music.
But can music help with cognitive performance?
Research suggests that older adults who play background music, or music playing while focusing on another primary activity, can improve their performance on cognitive tasks, including processing speed and benefits in memory.
There is a new study led by Manuel Gonzalez of Baruch College, and John Aiello of Rutgers University that indicates that listening to for some students is indeed beneficial, but for others, it is not. This suggests that the effect of music on cognitive functioning varies depending on factors such as personality, and is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. This seems to be especially true for people with a high requirement for external stimulation, who tend to get bored relatively quickly and seek external stimulation. Interestingly, these people often do worse when listening to music while focusing on another primary mental task. Conversely, people with a low need for external stimulation, tend to improve their mental performance while listening to music.
THE EFFECTS OF MUSIC ON DEPRESSION
As stated above, some research suggests that individuals suffering from depression might use music to intensify a negative mood.
But can music help to manage and even heal depression?
Research suggests that supplementing medication or psychotherapy with music therapy for depression could be beneficial.
The research found that patients felt less depressed when they added music to their treatment regimen. Music therapy also appeared to help improve functioning and ease anxiety with patients struggling with depression symptoms. The same research suggests it’s just as safe as traditional forms of treatment.
“We can now be more confident that music therapy in fact improves patients’ symptoms and functioning, and that this finding holds across a variety of settings, countries, types of patients, and types of music therapy,” said Christian Gold, the senior study author, of Uni Research Health in Bergen, Norway.
Music therapy can include a multitude of approaches such as passive, involving listening to music, active, involving treatments such as playing an instrument, singing, or participating in a musical performance, or a combination of these different approaches. Music therapy is different than other musical pursuits because it typically involves a person with training in psychology, counseling, or treating depression.
Although the research is promising, there is still much we don’t know about the effects of music therapy on patients struggling from depression.
According to another study performed at the University of Valencia and published by TMR Publishing, recent neurological studies show that people subjected to musical stimuli showed increased production of endorphins, dopamine, acetylcholine, and oxytocin.
This is an essential discovery since endorphins are related to motivation and life energy, which produce joy and optimism. They also help to increase a sense of well-being and decrease the sensation of pain. Another interesting find is that participation in group music therapy sessions causes the patient to interact with other people, generating common interests because the music promotes the restoration of sociability for the creative community experience.
IN REVIEW
Music, and particularly, music therapy, can play a role in helping ease symptoms of depression. Yet we still don’t have a ton of data on the subject and need more to associate specifics of what works and what doesn’t work as it relates to music and depression.
We know that music certainly seems to have some effect on depression, functioning, anxiety, and other mental and emotional illnesses and trauma.
Music appears to be as safe as other treatments, and it’s easy to access to most people.
If you are struggling with depression and think music therapy could be an option, contact a mental health professional and ask them for more information.
After all, listening to your favorite music while simultaneously healing your depressive symptoms sounds like a win-win situation to me. No pun intended.
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