“The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) defines music therapy as ‘an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals’” (Barnett & Shale, 2013, p.48). Music Therapy (MT) is shown to be able to help people with many different kinds of mental health problems such as anxiety, stress, and minor cases of depression. There have been many studies done showing that MT is an effective form of therapy that can improve someone’s overall Quality Of Life (QOL). MT is known as an alternative technique therapy. It is often used instead of, or along with, medication to produce a result in the patience who need it. MT involves all aspects of the music process, including listening to, writing, singing, and analyzing music. Overall MT addresses physical and emotional problems and is used to enhance the life and health of the patient. This review is simply to inform readers of the effects music and MT has on mental health, specifically:
A chemical substance used in the treatment, cure,prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being. A key factor appears to be rhythm. One reason is that neurons in the brainstem seem to fire synchronously with the tempo of sounds we hear. In a review of research on the neurochemistry of music, Levitin and his colleague Mona Lisa Chanda cited research showing that slow-tempo music can reduce heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and other responses controlled by the brainstem. Such rhythm effects might help music combat stress and anxiety(Young). When this happens people become a more relaxed person because your breathing slows and your blood pressure drops. This is helpful in people who have depression, anxiety, etc. I know through personal experience that this statement is true. I became depressed when my mother took back my horrid step father. It allowed me to feel sad, happy, and angry all at the same time. It helped me to let things go and to learn things from the lyrics. The only way I could cope with things was talking to my friends and listening to
Anxiety is a disorder characterized by fear, doubt, and a sense of vulnerability. People with anxiety tend to have less noticeable symptoms than people with depression, as symptoms of anxiety are things such as physical sensations of strong emotions of fear. Depression symptoms are more physical and noticeable from the outside, such as lack of eating or sleep, or lack of interest in doing things. People with depression may become
I have this theory that when it comes to music there is an unseen power which transforms. In in my life I have felt the influence of this power but it wasn't until the other day that I witnessed this power in action. It was through a procedure called Music Therapy where the method of treatment involves the patient listening to music. The element of music has a history of an intuitive connection that has psychologically been beneficial. Music therapy bands together the concept of music, mental health, psychological, and physiological benefits. With more examinations to estimate the advantages for this procedure more debate arises. Many are eager to
Music has therapeutic effects such as improving mental health and wellbeing, physical health and behaviours. This paper focuses on the therapeutic effect of music on mental health and wellbeing. Music has been used to help reduce stress (Labbe et al., 2007). When the listeners reduce stress by listening to music, they are able to relax themselves and calm down. Rentfrow et al. (2011) states that music has motivational effect to motivate the listeners. It was believed that music could be used to assist listeners in encountering hardships. Music could also arouse the emotions and feelings of the listeners (Labbe et al., 2007). To exemplify this, music elevates the listeners’ mood and providing rewarding effect and diversion. Listeners actively engage in music listening to fulfil their emotional and social needs, enjoyment and helps enduring hardships.
One of the many differences between depression and anxiety, is their symptoms. According to Harold Cohen (2016) from psychcentral.com, people with depression have low energy and “..depressed people often feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day tasks and personal relationships so essential to life” (para.2). When someone has depression they lose interest in things they used to love, and they tend to push friends and family away. They also often experience headaches, insomnia, and a change in appetite. Meanwhile, people with anxiety experience panic attacks in situations where other people would not. They also feel restless, they shake and sweat, and they always have a constant worry. The symptoms of anxiety are very different from depression. A person with anxiety would not have low energy, quite the opposite actually. Someone suffering from anxiety has a high energy, but is always in a constant state of worry or fear.
Music has also been proven effective in assisting the development of a positive self-image and facilitating the technique in which the brain is able to prioritize stress and pain (Williams, Retrieved 2016). Neurologic Music Therapy is a rather holistic health approach, as it emphasizes the entire being, incorporating a number of physical and mental processes (Williams, Retrieved 2016). However, whether or not it can actually supersede other methods of treatment entirely for long-term effects remains
Many people feel apprehensive and miserable every now and then, but when does it take over their whole lives? Losing a loved one, doing poorly in school or work, being bullied and other hardships might lead a person to feel sad, lonely, scared, nervous and/or anxious. Some people experience this on an everyday basis, sometimes even or no reason at all. Those people might have an anxiety disorder, depression, or both. It is highly likely for someone with an anxiety disorder to also be suffering from depression, or the other way around. 50% of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
There are many studies that show how music therapy helps people with mood disorders. People with depression can benefit from music therapy because through music therapy they can lessen the symptoms of depression. In the studies and cases that will be mentioned we can see that music therapy is effective through methods like group therapy. It is shown that people with depression that go through music therapy are affected in a positive way.
According to the American Music Therapy Association (A.M.T.A.), music therapy is “the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.” As a generally new and upcoming industry, music therapy is often underestimated. By incorporating different areas of the brain, music can reduce stress, ease
The impact of music on positive psychology and emotion is a well known fact. Music has an extraordinary ability to change people’s emotions. In humans, music has the ability to invoke emotions of sadness, happiness and even fear (Goycoolea, Levy & Ramirez, 2013). The ability of music to alter human mood makes it one of the greatest subjects of positive psychology. Seligman (2011) argued that even though a lot of effort has been spent on psychotherapy and pharmacology, such interventions are not
As the combination of different sounds travel through out ears, we tend to connect music with certain emotions or memories. For example, to feel that adrenaline rush we select a more upbeat tone in music. If you want a relaxed mood, you listen to something nice and calm with a relaxing melody. According to an article by Mental Health Center, students at Penn State did a study on music and emotions; they showed that people’s emotions have a more positive attitude after they listened to music. Music has a great
Participating in music therapy was found to help people who experience self-esteem issues and depression. A scientific study was performed by a group of scientist in Poole, England to prove whether or not music lessened the amount of depression a child felt. Bournemouth University in England and
Aside from emotions, music can also have an impact on mental illnesses like ADHD, depression, and dementia. To combat depression, Cadena states that “music therapy alleviates pain and promotes calmness by slowing the heart rate and other bodily functions” (2). It provides the patient with a means of escape from the stressful and painful ordeals of life, and can even encourage them to recover from depression. To help children with ADHD, music therapy and medications can be used conjointly. Music, Cadena affirms, “can provide a calming, sedative affect and assist a child with focusing on the task at hand” (2). In regards to dementia, a study was done to investigate the effects that music would have on people with the disease. The findings demonstrated that “mean agitation levels were significantly lower while listening to music than before listening to the music” (3).
Music elicits an emotional and cognitive response in all who listen to it. It is powerful at the individual level because “it can induce multiple responses – physiological, movement, mood, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral” (Francis, 2008,