Music therapy is emerging as a powerful tool to enhance mental health, offering a complementary approach alongside conventional treatments like medication and psychotherapy. Several studies have shown that integrating music therapy into a patient’s regular treatment regimen can lead to a significant improvement in depressive symptoms compared to standard treatment alone. Additionally, this therapeutic approach has demonstrated the ability to reduce anxiety levels and enhance the day-to-day functioning of individuals dealing with depression.
The scientific community is actively exploring the connection between music therapy and improved mental health. Music engages various regions of the brain, including the limbic system, which processes emotions and recollections. This engagement with the brain’s emotional centers could explain music’s ability to evoke memories, thus opening the door to its potential therapeutic use.
In a study conducted by Amy Belfi, an associate professor at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, the role of music in memory recall was examined. The study compared the memories evoked by popular songs with those brought to mind by images of celebrities. Surprisingly, music was found to trigger more vivid autobiographical details than images.
Dr. Belfi suggested that music’s capacity to induce emotional responses facilitates memory retrieval. This could be a key factor in understanding why music therapy has been associated with cognitive improvement and a better quality of life among individuals with dementia.
Music can impact the body in various ways. Fast tempos can be arousing, while slow or meditative music may help induce relaxation. Moreover, both listening to music and singing have been shown to reduce cortisol levels, a stress hormone, while also promoting the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to brain reward centers.
What sets music therapy apart is its highly interactive nature. Clients often engage in activities such as playing musical instruments with their therapist or crafting lyrics collaboratively. This allows for self-expression on both an individual and communal level.
Kenneth Aigen, the director of music therapy at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, underscores the power of connecting and collaborating through music. A musician himself, Dr. Aigen believes in helping his clients discover the transformative potential of music in group sessions or individual meetings with a therapist.
He stated, “When you join with other human beings through music, there’s no other experience like it. I think it completely changes how you think of yourself.”
For Kerry Devlin, a senior music therapist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, music serves as a therapeutic tool to share meaningful moments with patients, even during their most challenging times.
In palliative care, she captures a patient’s heartbeat with a special stethoscope, collaboratively selects a meaningful song, and personalizes lyrics or harmonies. This musical creation becomes a lasting gift, preserving a piece of a person’s life through their heartbeat.
Music therapy is proving to be a profound avenue for enhancing mental health, offering solace, connection, and healing to those in need, often in the most challenging circumstances.
