(I really really really enjoy ted talks)

Music: a universal term that everyone can both relate with and comprehend. It’s like a supernatural medium that has the ability to do so much for someone. There are many different forms, styles, genres and/or beats. The basic Wikipedia definition is as follows: an art form, social activity or cultural activity whose medium is sound and silence.

Many musical artists will attest that musical performance/writing or even simply listening to it is their form of medicine. Some may even consider it their “escape.” Many musical artists, like Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), have been known to be so passionate about their music to the point of it being considered a “obsessive passion.” Kurt Cobain was, and still is to this day, identified as the “talented yet troubled grunge performer” who clearly struggled with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety; which consequently led to his death (allegedly…but that is a story for another time.)

I want to focus on the effect that music has on both people with poor mental health/diagnosed depression and overall health. Although this topic is significantly broad with a plethora of research conducted, I will condense it as best I can.

Kurt Cobain serves as a perfect example for this topic seeing as that his performance and music composition came solely from within himself and his emotions. There lies an under-appreciated importance with how ordinary people and music artists cope with issues of their own through music. This is the type of “therapy” that does not always require a validated music therapist however there are some instances with in-patient music treatment for depression.

The British Journal of Psychiatry posted the results of a study done in Finland:  “trained music therapists engaged participants in up to 20 sessions of co-improvisational active music-making as the basis of a therapeutic relationship. “This is a high-quality randomized trial of music therapy specifically for depression and the results suggest that it can improve the mood and global functioning of people with this disorder.”

The study noted that the active arm of the procedure (i.e. physically playing a musical instrument with the therapist) was extremely helpful in reducing feelings associated with depression. “The role of physical activity in averting depression and alleviating its effects is well recognized.” (BJPsych) This form of music therapy better enables a patient to experience themselves as actual physical beings and become more interactive. As a result, this has proven to be significantly efficacious in reducing feelings of depression. The physical participation enables one to hear and feel themselves in the context of the aesthetic experiences.

Unlike the common and well-known forms of treatment for depression (psychotherapy and prescribed medication), a music therapist will touch upon the two different approaches of music therapy; receptive and active. “In receptive music therapy, a person listens to music with a therapist, and the music can be used for relaxation and motivation and as a bridge to emotions, cognitive work, personal development, and self-reflection. In active music therapy, the patient and therapist play improvisational music together. The patient does not need to be a skilled musician,” (Formal Music Therapy Appears to Improve Mood in Depression). This method has been proven extremely successful for patients who have a difficult time responding to verbal cognitive therapies or articulating deeper feelings.

Having said that, you do not need professionally-conducted music therapy sessions in order to relieve your depression. A more casual approach would be simply listening to your favorite kind of music or a genre of music that suits your current mood. Something as simple as this has the capability to alter your mood in seconds. Music has also been proven to intensify concentration because of its power to reduce stress. Some may argue with that saying that music is only a bigger distraction however, Psych Central poses very reputable and convincing information that may say otherwise.  Although this may be a subjective statement, it is quite amazing to me how much power music has on the human brain.

In addition to music’s benefit on mental health, a meta analysis of over 400 studies that was done by psychologist Daniel J. Levitin, PhD of McGill University touts the benefits that music has on improving immune system functions and reduction of stress. “We’ve found compelling evidence that musical interventions can play a health-care role in settings ranging from operating rooms to family clinics,” says Levitin.

In another study done by University of Alberta linking a correlation between music and stress, it found that music can help soothe pediatric emergency room patients. The study consisted of 42 children (perhaps too small of an experimental group) ranging from ages 3-11. “…Researchers found that patients who listened to relaxing music while getting an IV inserted reported significantly less pain, and some demonstrated significantly less distress, compared with patients who did not listen to music” (American Psychological Association). Of course this trial does not necessarily prove anything because, as we have continuously learned, correlation does not equal causation, however it does show some convincing linkage.

The innumerable amount of studies that have been done on music’s psychological effect is astonishing. I think because of how much evidence and information has been collected and the fact that so many professionally recognized doctors have supported the method of music, it is become clearer and clearer that this correlation between music and mental health may be causal. Studies are not very difficult to conduct therefore which is why there is so much information on the matter.

Music possesses the remarkable ability to toy with ones emotions and even alter moods just from one rhythm to the next. After all, T.S Eliot did once say: “…music heard so deeply, that it is not heard at all, but you are the music While the music lasts.” 

sources:

http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Use-Music-As-My-Escape/2528425

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-music-moves-us/201106/can-you-be-too-passionate-about-music

http://www.musictherapy.org/careers/employment/#A_CAREER_IN_MT

http://www.biography.com/people/kurt-cobain-9542179

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/11/music.aspx

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/2/92

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/569228

http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress/

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/293622-music-heard-so-deeply-that-it-is-not-heard-at