Music Therapy
Overview
Music therapy is a non-invasive intervention that utilizes listening, creating and moving to music to achieve therapeutic goals and has been used to treat a variety of psychological and physical conditions.[1,2]
Initially utilized in 1945 by the U.S. War Department, music therapy was originally meant to aid recovering military service members. Music therapy has evolved to utilize music in a clinical setting to achieve personalized objectives (e.g., diminishing stress, enhancing mood and facilitating self-expression). It is a well-validated therapeutic approach widely recognized within the healthcare field.[3]
During a music therapy session, a patient may:
Create music
Sing music
Listen to music
Move to music
Discuss lyrics
Play an instrument
The type of music therapy will be dependent on the patient themselves.[4] The Cleveland Clinic notes that engaging in music therapy can have positive effects on various aspects of an individual's well-being, including psychological, emotional, physical, spiritual, cognitive and social dimensions.[5]
Foundation
In the history of music therapy, social science theories have predominantly explained the therapeutic value of music, emphasizing its role in facilitating social learning and emotional well-being within human life and society. However, more recent discoveries in brain research related to music have introduced new insights. These findings suggest that music has the ability to stimulate complex cognitive, emotional, and sensorimotor processes in the brain, which can then be extended and applied to non-musical therapeutic purposes.[6]
The exploration of the neurobiological foundations of music has inherently linked music to its ability to influence and shape brain function. Engaging in music can bring about changes in the brain itself, creating a reciprocal relationship between music and brain activity. The connection has emerged through the integration of neuroscience, music cognition, music therapy and rehabilitation fields. Development of these ideas have taken place within the broader context of a line of research that reveals the brain's capacity for change through experiences, known as experience-dependent plasticity. This concept has significantly advanced our understanding of learning, cognition and therapeutic rehabilitation.[7]
The idea of music as a mediating stimulus holds significant value in the context of music therapy as it establishes music as a mediator between current brain and behavioral functioning, therapeutic goals and the desired therapeutic response. In the field of experimental aesthetics, the mediating response to music arises from perceiving meaningful patterns inherent in the music itself, as well as from other symbolic, iconic, or behavioral associations that have been learned through associative processes. Acting as a mediating stimulus, music, with its distinct and organized sensory patterns in aesthetic forms, initially engages human behavior and brain function in a meaningful manner. It achieves this by stimulating, guiding, organizing, focusing and modulating perception, attention, and behavior within the affective, cognitive and sensorimotor domains. Based on these principles, research models can be developed to illustrate how music can influence human behavior and brain function in general, as well as in a therapeutically significant manner. A renewed emphasis on the aesthetic foundations of music perception and production has opened doors for music therapy to firmly integrate with advancements in the neurosciences.[8]
Conditions Treated
Music therapy can aid in treatment for a variety of conditions and groups of people such as those with behavioral disorder, mental illness, and even substance abuse and trauma. It has been found to help people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as individuals on the autism spectrum tend to thrive in learning environments that offer familiarity, structure, predictability, and consistency, as these factors facilitate optimal learning outcomes for them. For individuals facing a mental health disorder, music therapy can provide valuable assistance in enhancing communication and expression, facilitating the exploration of thoughts and emotions, and improving mood and concentration. It has also been effective for those with physical ailments such as illnesses or chronic pain. Additionally it has played a role in helping people with substance abuse issues as well as those who have experienced trauma, such as war veterans and victims of domestic violence. It has the potential to enhance motivation and boost self-esteem, alleviate muscle tension, diminish anxiety, promote self-awareness and enhance coping mechanisms.[9]
Health Benefits
A wide range of benefits can be derived from music therapy:[10]
Positive Medical Outcomes – stress reduction, better pain and mood/emotion regulation, lowered blood pressure, reduced muscle tension
Positive Rehabilitation Outcomes – development of gross and fine motor skills, improved language skills and cognitive function, improved memory
Positive Psychiatric Outcomes – personal insight/expression, emotion regulation, social engagement, cognitive functions, increased motivation
Positive Neonatal Outcomes – stress reduction, sensory development, emotional bonding
Music therapy has proven beneficial for a wide range of conditions and populations, including individuals with behavioral disorders, mental health disorders, substance abuse issues, physical ailments, and those who have experienced trauma. As the field continues to advance and integrate with neuroscientific research, music therapy holds great potential for enhancing well-being and promoting healing.
If you are interested in finding out if Music Therapy can benefit you, the American Music Therapy Association’s provider link can be accessed here.
To learn how you can incorporate various forms of music into your life to help relieve anxiety and stress, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional (e.g. a psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist) for guidance and support.
Contributed by: Ananya Kumar
Editor: Jennifer (Ghahari) Smith, Ph.D.
References
1 Music Therapy. Cleveland Clinic. (2020) https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/8817-music-therapy#:~:%20text=Music%20therapy%20is%20the%20clinical,playing%20instruments%2C%20%20or%20composing%20music
2 Music Therapy: What is it and How Does it Work?. Musicians Institute College of Contemporary Music. (2021). https://www.mi.edu/in-the-know/music-therapy-work/
3 Cleveland Clinic
4 Ibid.
5 Cleveland Clinic
6 Thaut, M.H. (2005), The Future of Music in Therapy and Medicine. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1060: 303-308. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1360.023
7 Ibid.
8 Cleveland Clinic
9 Ibid.
10 Musicians Institute