# data[].attributes.body
♪ Two charts ♪

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
According to the NIH, 17.3 Million American adults had at least one episode of major depression every year, making it one of the most common conditions in the United States.
Depression is also a major driver of mortality. According to the CDC, about 45,000 die annually from suicide in the United States.

Medications work well for depression, but they are only one part of the picture. Not all patients respond well to medication, and they are not always effective on their own in treating depression. Medications work best as part of a comprehensive treatment strategy.

Music therapy has been suggested as a possible complementary therapy for depression. However, previous studies have been relatively small and of lower quality.

A team out of Finland looked to change that by conducting a higher quality clinical trial of music therapy.
Source: Individual music therapy for depression: randomised controlled trial.
Music Therapy Study Overview

Researchers split 79 patients with a Major Depression diagnosis into a treatment group and control group.

All patients received psychotherapy, counseling, and medication if needed. Only patients in the treatment group received music therapy from train music therapists who encouraged patients to play music on a drum, percussion instrument, and a mallet instrument.
Source: Individual music therapy for depression: randomised controlled trial.
Top Questions and Answers

Music Therapy & Depression Symptoms
Source: Individual music therapy for depression: randomised controlled trial.
Music Therapy & Anxiety Symptoms

Researchers also looked at changes in anxiety symptoms. Anxiety is a common comorbidity with depression, meaning that depressed patients often have anxiety as well.

They found that over the course of the study, patients who received music therapy had significantly fewer anxiety symptoms compared to those who did not.
While this study was not designed to look specifically at Anxiety Disorders, other studies have found music therapy to be an effective treatment for anxiety when used alongside standard therapies.
Key Takeaways

One of the most important takeaways from this study is that music therapy can make a significant impact for many depressed patients when used alongside standard therapies.

Consistent with previous research, patients in this study were significantly more likely to at least partly recover from depression when they received music therapy.

While the study only looked at one type of music therapy, it would be interesting to see if music in general, both listening and playing, has any impact on depression.

One possible weakness of this study was that the control patients did not receive the same amount of therapy as music therapy patients. From this study design, we do not know whether it was the "music" that led to the improvements seen, or whether these improvements came from having more therapy overall.

All in all, this study provides good support for what looks like a great therapeutic option for depressed patients.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Data on Music Therapy & Depression | Visualized Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
According to the NIH, 17.3 Million American adults had at least one episode of major depression every year, making it one of the most common conditions in the United States. Depression is also a major driver of mortality. According to the CDC, about 45,000 die annually from suicide in the United States.

# data[].attributes.body
♪ Reveal the topic ♪

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Music therapy is a therapeutic approach that uses the naturally mood-lifting properties of music to help people improve their mental health and overall well-being. It's a goal-oriented intervention that may involve:

This form of treatment may be helpful for people with depression and anxiety, and it may help improve the quality of life for people with physical health problems. Anyone can engage in music therapy; you don't need a background in music to experience its beneficial effects.

Types of Music Therapy

Music therapy can be an active process, where clients play a role in creating music, or a passive one that involves listening or responding to music. Some therapists may use a combined approach that involves both active and passive interactions with music.

There are a variety of approaches established in music therapy, including:

Analytical music therapy: Analytical music therapy encourages you to use an improvised, musical "dialogue" through singing or playing an instrument to express your unconscious thoughts, which you can reflect on and discuss with your therapist afterward.

Benenzon music therapy: This format combines some concepts of psychoanalysis with the process of making music. Benenzon music therapy includes the search for your "musical sound identity," which describes the external sounds that most closely match your internal psychological state.

Cognitive behavioral music therapy (CBMT): This approach combines cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with music. In CBMT, music is used to reinforce some behaviors and modify others. This approach is structured, not improvisational, and may include listening to music, dancing, singing, or playing an instrument.

Community music therapy: This format is focused on using music as a way to facilitate change on the community level. It's done in a group setting and requires a high level of engagement from each member.

Nordoff-Robbins music therapy: Also called creative music therapy, this method involves playing an instrument (often a cymbal or drum) while the therapist accompanies using another instrument. The improvisational process uses music as a way to help enable self-expression.

The Bonny method of guided imagery and music (GIM): This form of therapy uses classical music as a way to stimulate the imagination. In this method, you explain the feelings, sensations, memories, and imagery you experience while listening to the music.

Vocal psychotherapy: In this format, you use various vocal exercises, natural sounds, and breathing techniques to connect with your emotions and impulses. This practice is meant to create a deeper sense of connection with yourself.

Music Therapy vs. Sound Therapy

Music therapy and sound therapy (or sound healing) are distinctive, and each approach has its own goals, protocols, tools, and settings:

Music therapy is a relatively new discipline, while sound therapy is based on ancient Tibetan cultural practices.

Sound therapy uses tools to achieve specific sound frequencies, while music therapy focuses on addressing symptoms like stress and pain.

The training and certifications that exist for sound therapy are not as standardized as those for music therapists.

Music therapists often work in hospitals, substance abuse treatment centers, or private practices, while sound therapists may offer their service as a component of complementary or alternative medicine.

Techniques

When you begin working with a music therapist, you will start by identifying your goals. For example, if you're experiencing depression, you may hope to use music to naturally improve your mood and increase your happiness. You may also want to try applying music therapy to other symptoms of depression like anxiety, insomnia, or trouble focusing.

You may be asked to tune in to your emotions as you perform these tasks or to allow your feelings to direct your actions. For example, if you are angry, you might play or sing loud, fast, and dissonant chords.

You may also use music to explore ways to change how you feel. If you express anger or stress, your music therapist might respond by having you listen to or create music with slow, soft, soothing tones.

Music therapy is often one-on-one, but you may also choose to participate in group sessions if they are available. Sessions with a music therapist take place wherever they practice, which might be a:

Clinic

Community health center

Correctional facility

Hospital

Private office

Physical therapy practice

Rehabilitation facility

Wherever it happens to be, the room you work in together will be a calm environment with no outside distractions.

What Music Therapy Can Help With

Music therapy may be helpful for people experiencing:

Research also suggests that it can be helpful for people with:

Music therapy is also often used to help children and adolescents:

Develop their identities

Improve their communication skills

Learn to regulate their emotions

Recover from trauma

Self-reflect

Benefits of Using Music as Therapy

Music therapy can be highly personalized, making it suitable for people of any age-even very young children can benefit. It's also versatile and offers benefits for people with a variety of musical experience levels and with different mental or physical health challenges.

Engaging with music can:

Activate regions of the brain that influence things like memory, emotions, movement, sensory relay, some involuntary functions, decision-making, and reward

Fulfill social needs for older adults in group settings

Lower heart rate and blood pressure

Relax muscle tension

Release endorphins

Relieve stress and encourage feelings of calm

Strengthen motor skills and improve communication for children and young adults who have developmental and/or learning disabilities

Overall, music therapy can increase positive feelings, like:

Calmness

Euphoria

Confidence and empowerment

Emotional intimacy

Effectiveness

The uses and benefits of music therapy have been researched for decades. Key findings from clinical studies have shown that music therapy may be helpful for people with depression and anxiety, sleep disorders, and even cancer.

Depression

Studies have shown that music therapy can be an effective component of depression treatment. According to the research cited, the use of music therapy was most beneficial to people with depression when it was combined with the usual treatments (such as antidepressants and psychotherapy).

In 2016, researchers conducted a feasibility study that explored how music therapy could be combined with CBT to treat depression. While additional research is needed, the initial results were promising.

Many people find that music, or even white noise, helps them fall asleep. Research has shown that music therapy may be helpful for people with sleep disorders or insomnia as a symptom of depression.

Pain Management

Music has been explored as a potential strategy for acute and chronic pain management in all age groups. Research has shown that listening to music when healing from surgery or an injury, for example, may help both kids and adults cope with physical pain.

Music therapy may help reduce pain associated with:

Chronic conditions: Music therapy can be part of a long-term plan for managing chronic pain, and it may help people recapture and focus on positive memories from a time before they had distressing long-term pain symptoms.

Labor and childbirth: Music therapy-assisted childbirth appears to be a positive, accessible, non-pharmacological option for pain management and anxiety reduction for laboring people.

Surgery: When paired with standard post-operative hospital care, music therapy is an effective way to lower pain levels, anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure in people recovering from surgery.

Coping with a cancer diagnosis and going through cancer treatment is as much an emotional experience as a physical one. People with cancer often need different sources of support to take care of their emotional and spiritual well-being.

Music therapy has been shown to help reduce anxiety in people with cancer who are starting radiation treatments. It may also help them cope with the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea.

Music therapy may also offer emotional benefits for people experiencing depression after receiving their cancer diagnosis, while they're undergoing treatment, or even after remission.

Things to Consider

On its own, music therapy may not constitute adequate treatment for medical conditions, including mental health disorders. However, when combined with medication, psychotherapy, and other interventions, it can be a valuable component of a treatment plan.

If you have difficulty hearing, wear a hearing aid, or have a hearing implant, you should talk with your audiologist before undergoing music therapy to ensure that it's safe for you.

Similarly, music therapy that incorporates movement or dancing may not be a good fit if you're experiencing pain, illness, injury, or a physical condition that makes it difficult to exercise.

You'll also want to check your health insurance benefits prior to starting music therapy. Your sessions may be covered or reimbursable under your plan, but you may need a referral from your doctor.

How to Get Started

Depending on your goals, a typical music therapy session lasts between 30 and 50 minutes. Much like you would plan sessions with a psychotherapist, you may choose to have a set schedule for music therapy-say, once a week-or you may choose to work with a music therapist on a more casual "as-needed" basis.

Before your first session, you may want to talk things over with your music therapist so you know what to expect and can check in with your primary care physician if needed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Music therapy can help people improve their mood and mental health with music. Learn how music is used as a therapy for anxiety, depression, and other conditions.

# data[].attributes.body
♪ Reveal the topic ♪
[ P/S: Download all the articles to see the highlighted parts if view with laptop🥺]

# data[].attributes.body
♪ Reveal the topic ♪

# data[].attributes.body
♪ Reveal the topic / Analysis of data ♪

# data[].attributes.body
♪ Analysis of data ♪

# data[].attributes.body
♪ Analysis of data ♪

# data[].attributes.body
♪ Attention getter ♪