What is Music Therapy and How Does it Work? Part 3

reprinted from Medical News Today

How it helps with depression

Studies suggest that music therapy can improve symptoms of depression, with those undergoing music therapy along with standard treatments for depression — such as talking therapy — improving more than people who only received standard therapy.

Listening to music can also release dopamine, which is a hormone that makes people feel good, and endorphins, which are hormones that can induce happy moods and relieve pain.

Although music therapy is not a cure for depression, it can offer short-term benefits by improving mood and encouraging connection and self-expression.

In children

Some of the benefits of music therapy for children include:

• offering fun ways of expressing thoughts and feelings
• practicing social interaction and communication skills
• encouraging creative play
• improving concentration and coordination
• increasing self-awareness
• increasing awareness of other people, particularly in group music sessions
• building self-esteem and resilience
• building language and listening skills
• strengthening family relationships

Summary

Although music therapy is not a cure for any mental health condition, it can be an effective and enjoyable tool for reducing the symptoms of numerous conditions, including depression and anxiety.

Music therapy offers people a creative and accessible way of expressing their feelings and processing their experiences. People have used music for its powerful effects on mood and emotions for a long time.

Aside from helping with mental health conditions, music therapy also has numerous other benefits, such as providing a creative outlet, expanding knowledge and cultural awareness, and improving cognitive skills such as memory.