Music Therapy Use and Benefits

What is Music Therapy?

 

Music therapy is a type of intervention that uses music and its elements to help improve quality of life, as well as physical, emotional, and intellectual health. It can be used in clinical practice, private practice, and community or educational settings. Patients can choose to have individual  sessions or group sessions with other patients. During music therapy sessions, the music therapist and patient(s) actively interact with music and/or its elements.


When is Music Therapy Used?

 

Music therapy can be used to help people of different ages and medical conditions. Below is a list of some medical conditions that can benefit from music therapy:

 

  • Depression
  • Anxiety 
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 
  • Hearing Impairment
  • Visual Impairment
  • Speech Impairments
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Emotional Trauma
  • Physical Disabilities
  • Chronic Pain
  • Cancer

Music Therapy Methods

There are two types of music therapy methods: 

 

  • Active music therapy methods are used when patients “make music”. Specifically, these methods may include music composition, improvisation and/or other creative music elements.
  • Receptive music therapy methods are used when patients “receive” or listen to music.

 

Within each type of method are a variety of techniques. Typically, different methods and techniques of music therapy are combined for each patient.

Benefits of Specific Music Therapy Techniques

 

Listening to Music: One of the main benefits of listening to music is that it can improve mental health and emotional well-being. For example, listening to music can help patients learn how to regulate their emotions. Additionally, while listening to music, specific brain regions are triggered, which helps develop and enhance cognitive processing, memory, and attention.

 

Playing Musical Instruments: Playing instruments can improve fine and motor coordination, as well as movement quality. For example, playing the piano can improve finger movement coordination and manual dexterity. Evidence also suggests that playing instruments can help reduce stress and/or anxiety levels and support cognitive processing.

 

Rhythmic Activities: Rhythmic activities can help improve coordination, balance, joint strength, joint mobility, stride length, range of motion and reduce agitation. Research has found that rhythmic activities may also help improve cognitive processing.

 

Music Improvisation: Research has shown that music improvisation can help reduce neurological damage, improve mental health and communication issues, as well as reduce anxiety and stress.

 

Music Composition: Research has suggested that music composition can help enhance emotional and cognitive processing. However, research has mainly focused on music improvisation. Therefore, there is limited information on these benefits. Given these promising results, further research must be conducted to investigate the benefits of music composition.

 

Group Singing: Group singing can reduce stress hormone levels and help improve emotional wellbeing. For example, group singing can improve emotional regulation among dementia and concussion patients. Research has also shown that group singing can enhance life satisfaction, especially among concussion and stroke survivors.  An indirect benefit of group singing is that it can help improve social skills due to the interaction with other patients.   

Music Therapy and Concussion Recovery

Research on the benefits of music therapy specifically for concussion recovery has been relatively limited. Regardless, music therapy has become popular during concussion recovery because it can improve sensory, motor, and cognitive functioning. In particular, the various music therapy techniques described above may be helpful for concussion patients. For example, reducing negative neurological effects, improving cognitive processing, and mood regulation are beneficial for many concussion survivors. 


Written by Dorothy Dinh

 

References

Aalbers, S., Fusar-Poli, L., Freeman, R. E., Spreen, M., Ket, J. C. F., Vink, A. C., Maratos, A., Crawford, M., Chen, X. J., & Gold, C. (2017). Music therapy for depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2017(11), CD004517-CD004517. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004517.pub3

 

Boer, D., & Abubakar, A. (2014). Music listening in families and peer groups: Benefits for young people’s social cohesion and emotional well-being across four cultures. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 392-392. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00392

 

Bradt, J., Magee, W. L., Dileo, C., Wheeler, B. L., & McGilloway, E. (2010). Music therapy for acquired brain injury. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (7), CD006787-CD006787. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006787.pub2

 

Canadian Association of Music Therapists. (n.d.). About Music Therapy. https://www.musictherapy.ca/about-camt-music-therapy/about-music-therapy/

 

Dingle, G. A., Brander, C., Ballantyne, J., & Baker, F. A. (2013). ‘To be heard’: The social and mental health benefits of choir singing for disadvantaged adults. Psychology of Music, 41(4), 405-421. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735611430081

 

Habron, J., Butterly, F., Gordon, I., & Roebuck, A. (2013). Being well, being musical: Music composition as a resource and occupation for older people. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(7), 308-316. https://doi.org/10.4276/030802213X13729279114933

 

MacDonald, R. A., & Wilson, G. B. (2014). Musical improvisation and health: A review. Psychology of Well-being, 4(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13612-014-0020-9

 

Pfeiffer, K., Clements, J., Smith, M., Gregoire, M., & Conti, C. (2019). Does rhythmic auditory stimulation compared to no rhythmic auditory stimulation improve patient’s static and dynamic standing balance post stroke? Physical Therapy Reviews, 24(5), 216-222. https://doi.org/10.1080/10833196.2019.1666220

 

Shipman, D. (2016). A Prescription for Music Lessons. Federal practitioner: for the health care professionals of the VA, DoD, and PHS, 33(2), 9-12.