by Hani Hamdan
Introduction:
Music is a major and integral artistic expression, wherein individuals of differing age groups spend considerable time each day. The music is also deeply embedded in so much of what we do. But how does music relate to mental illness? What are the underlying biological processes that make this possible? Could it be possible to use music as a tool to remediate symptoms of a number of mental illnesses? In this investigation, we seek to answer and shed light upon these pivotal questions.
The biological foundation:
The initial research established the foundational basis for comprehending the biological origins of music’s impact on mental health. Within this domain, the investigation identified four biological components of musicality as fundamental.
1. Tonality can be characterized as the application of musical tones, and it is inextricably linked with vocal communication and pitch. At a biological level, the brain’s response to pitch is fixed by early life exposure to human vocalizations, even prenatally. In music therapy, music that shares the affected content of the human voice—eliciting soothing, reassuring tones, say—is also in a position to impact mood and to calm anxiety.
2. Rhythm: Defined as temporal predictability and pattern in music, neural resonance theory postulates that rhythm induces entrainment of brain oscillations and energizes motor areas, even in the absence of movement, then enhancing motivation, mood, and cognitive performance, particularly in stroke- and Parkinson’s patients.
3. Reward: The ability of music to activate brain reward circuitry by engaging the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, and hypothalamus (dopamine centers in the brain) that can be applied in treating dysfunctions of reward, like anhedonia, drug use, or lethargy.
4. Sociality: Described as music’s power to induce affiliation, empathy, and group unity through synchrony and communal emotion, and includes oxytocin release and stress hormone (cortisol, CRF) suppression, and can also be beneficial in disorders such as social dysfunction (autism, schizophrenia, dementia) in that individuals affected will engage in group music activity that enhances social unity, trust, and affective well-being.
Music activities and mental health recovery using the CHIME framework:
This study investigates how music interventions contribute to mental health recovery in service users. The CHIME model (focusing upon Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning, and Empowerment) is used to map music impacts across personal and social domains of recovery, so let’s explore how music affects mental health in CHIME terms:
– Connectedness is characterized by the establishment of relationships and the inclusion within communities. Research indicates that music contributes significantly to promoting equality among users and staff, enhancing emotional well-being, and fostering tolerance during collaborative activities.
– Hope: as generating energy and constructive hopes, and showing that it is safe to evoke feeling in therapy, and that positive feelings such as joy and hope can be stimulated, and that agency can be reinforced.
– Identity: being defined as rebuilding a sense of identity and overcoming stigmatising influences, and music activity participation helps in reframing personal image and discourses.
– Definition: being characterized by having a purposeful and satisfying life, and participation in music can bring about flow experiences and happiness, anchoring weekly habits, and creating purpose.
– Empowerment: Refers to regaining power and independence, and as studies claim, music can offer continuity despite hospitalization, focusing on strengths more than limitations.
Two key observations conclude the research: initially, recovery is more than symptom alleviation; it is forging meaningful lives despite continuous mental health struggles. Second, it is observed that at times music can induce negative responses, rumination, and nostalgia, in response to which there is a required need for secure and safe settings.
Stress reduction:
This research constitutes a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effects of music therapy interventions on alleviating stress. The interventions are categorized into two distinct types: active, which includes activities such as playing instruments and singing, and receptive, which involves listening to music. The study separates personalized music interventions conducted by a qualified therapist, known as music therapy, and listening to music passively, which is generally done by healthcare workers who are not specialized. The study results indicate moderate to large effect of music in stress mitigation overall, emphasizing that music therapy causes greater influence on stress reduction in comparison with music medicine. The mechanisms that explain the underpinnings of stress reduction were outcomes of various factors, which are, the alleviation of negative emotions, improvements in positive emotions, physiological arousal diminishment, and facilitation of neurochemical responses such as endorphins and oxytocin. The study recommends that music therapy be used in dealing with multiple mental health issues in general, and can be recognized as a legitimate, non-pharmacological method for reducing stress.
Playing music and mental health:
We’ve witnessed how listening to music impacts mental health, but what about playing music, either professionally or as a pastime? In this paper, the researchers attempted to observe the impact of playing music upon mental health, and the results were a marked decline in depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. And it was concluded that it benefited in terms of improvement in well-being and mood. The benefits of playing music relied upon a number of factors, what as the music activity type (type of instrument, in group or alone), session properties (frequency and duration), and therapist support, which added more benefit when a qualified music therapist led music, and what underlie such benefits as per the researchers are cognitive and emotional involvement, social attachment, physiological regulation, and finally the feelings of accomplishment and mastery. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated the underlying biological foundations of the relationship between music and mental health, explored the impact of diverse musical activities on mental well-being, examined the significance of music in alleviating stress, investigated the distinctions between engaging in music performance and passive listening, and analyzed the characteristics of these differences. Finally, we can say that music overall can make a significant change in several cases related to mental health.
Conclusion:
Throughout this research, we have seen the biological basis for the music and mental health relationship, how various musical activities affect mental health, the role of music in stress reduction, whether playing differs from listening to music, and the aspects of this difference.
Finally, we can say that music overall can make a significant change in several cases related to mental health.
References:
Bowling, Daniel L. Biological Principles for Music and Mental Health. Translational Psychiatry, vol. 13, 2023, article no. 374, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02671-4.
Creech, Andrea, et al. Music Activities and Mental Health Recovery: Service User Perspectives from a Participatory Research Study. Psychology of Music, vol. 51, no. 3, 2023, pp. 383–397. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221116399.
De Witte, Merten, et al. Music Therapy for Stress Reduction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, vol. 14, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2019.1627897.
Heye, Alexandra, and Graham A. Lamont. The Effects of Playing Music on Mental Health Outcomes. Journal of Mental Health, vol. 29, no. 3, 2020, pp. 301–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2019.1677879.