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Tryana Cervantes

ENGL 1302-231

Dr. Sharity Nelson

1 April 2024

Music Therapy as a Treatment For Mental Illnesses

Music has been a valuable companion for humanity, because through it, each individual

can be reflected. Many scholars like Liebowitz, Beck, Govindan, Lu and Petrini, have conducted

a multitude of research regarding the significant impact music has for treating health issues.

Consequently, music therapy should become a common method for treating mental health,

anxiety, children disabilities, and surgical patients.

Mental Health

For instance, musical interventions offer a promising non’pharmacological approach for

managing anxiety. Specifically, there is a leverage in neurobiological mechanisms of music to

modulate emotions, reduce stress responses, and enhance overall well-being. Scholar Liebowitz,

et al. references Gardstrom’s research, which details that “there has been a long documentation

of the benefits of music on promoting health and overall physical, mental and emotional well-

being, as well as increasingly demonstrating the benefits of active music making for individuals

with psychiatric disabilities” (137). On the other hand, scholar Beck, et al. has a similar

statement as author Liebowitz, et al. as both of them stated music as a beneficial treatment for

patients with mental disabilities (2). However, although both scholars reach the same conclusion,

their methods, main focus, and collection of information from other scholars is different. With

Liebowitz, et al. the focus has been for over decades, as US troops have been stationed in Iraq,

Afghanistan, and Pakistan as part of the War on Terror (139). Injuries, both physical and
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psychological, sustained by service members result in adversity for their mental health,

provoking in consequence substance abuse and homelessness as a result of the conflicts.

Meanwhile, with author Beck, et al. the main focus are traumatized refugees, mostly of them

suffering from depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms (2). Fortunately, as author Liebowitz,

et al. references Gardstrom’s research, there has been a long documentation of the benefits of

music on promoting health and overall physical, mental and emotional well-being, as well as

increasingly demonstrating the benefits of active music making for individuals with psychiatric

disabilities (137). This implies that music therapy provides patients with treatment without the

use of medication, something different from the usual therapy. However, the results of music

therapy end up being much more beneficial, because as Liebowitz, et al. now references Grocke,

it is stated “group music making activities provide joy, improve quality of life and address issues

such as coping, anger, and low self-esteem” (137). At the same time, author Beck, et al. states

from the World Federation of Music Therapy ‘the professional use of music and its elements as

an intervention in medical, educational, and everyday environments with individuals, groups,

families, or communities who seek to optimize their quality of life and improve their physical,

social, communicative, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health and wellbeing” (3). The

program studied during the investigation of author Liebowitz, et al. is part of a project that

provides career training and opportunities for music students and alumni at a large urban

university in the Southwestern USA. Many genres are offered and performed at the highest level

for populations that have limited access to the arts. The program model includes acomprehensive

program of concerns and participatory classes. Music students as instructional leaders for

veterans in a choir proportionate to veterans a way to express their perceptions in their own

words. At the same time interviewers with choir participants were conducted at the study site at
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times that did not conflict with the therapeutic activities offered at the facility. In conclusion,

choir activities provide veterans opportunities to engage with other community members, the

same a sense of belonging helped them to work with others, and of course the enjoyment that

they felt, changed their circumstances (146).Meanwhile, the treatment of author Beck, et al.

included a phase-oriented trauma therapy course of 16 weekly one-hour sessions (5). As was

described, despite both scholars' similar conclusion, their methods were completely different,

author Beck, et al. treatment was carried out by three experienced government-authorized

clinical psychologists and one newly trained psychologist, all with university training. The music

was used for 5-20 minutes, and patients were seated or reclined while psychologists listened to

their patient’s traumas (5). As a result, author Beck, et al. states by Carr “music therapy to

waitlists controls have demonstrated a reduction of trauma symptoms” (10).

Anxiety

At the same time, musical interventions offer a promising non’pharmacological approach

for managing anxiety by leveragng the neurobiological mechanisms of music to modulate

emotions, reduce stress responses. The following studies conducted detail the effectiveness of

intervention for reducing anxiety symptoms among specific populations. Scholars Liu and

Genqiang stated music therapy interventions were examined for college students with excessive

anxiety, while scholars Silvia and author Kwok study focused on a protocol integrating positive

psychology and music therapy for adolescents with anxiety symptoms (1). Additionally, both

studies utilized a randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the intervention. They recruited

participants from specific demographic groups (college students in Central China and Grade 8 to

Grade 9 students in secondary schools in Hong Kong) and randomly assigned them to

intervention and control groups. Both studies found significant improvements in various outcome
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measures related to mental health and well-being. The first study reported reductions in anxiety

scores among college students receiving music therapy intervention, while the second study

observed increases in hope, emotional competence, and subjective happiness, along with

decreases in anxiety symptoms, among adolescents participating in the integrated intervention.

Furthermore, both studies highlighted the importance of specific factors in influencing the

effectiveness of the interventions. The first study identified factors such as gender, major, and

therapy type, while the second study emphasized the mediating role of hope in the relationship

between the intervention and changes in anxiety symptoms and subjective happiness. Overall,

both studies contribute to the understanding of how music therapy, along with other

psychological approaches, can be beneficial in addressing anxiety and promoting well-being

among different populations.

Children

Meanwhile, exploring the efficacy of musical treatment as an intervention for children

with social skills disorder and behavioral problems reveals promising outcomes in enhancing

social interaction, emotional regulation, and overall behavior. At this time, music therapy among

children with behavioral and deficiency in social skills has been observed to be effective. Scholar

Govindan, et al. describes a study focused on evaluating the effectiveness of a music add-on

therapy for managing behavioral problems in children aged 6 to 12 years. The researchers

utilized a randomized controlled design, distributing 40 participants into experimental and

control groups (1). Throughout the study, both groups received treatment as usual, while the

experimental group additionally received music add-on intervention with eight Hindustani (a

group of mutually intelligible languages and dialects spoken in northwestern in India) ragas over

a period of three weeks. To assess the outcomes of the intervention, the researchers employed
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several clinical outcome measures. These included the Children’s Global Assessment Scale

(CGAS), the Nisonger Child Behaviour Rating Form typical IQ version, and a visual analogue

scale (VAS) completed by parents to monitor behavioral improvement (274). The quantitative

analysis of these measures indicated significant improvements on the experimental group

compared to the control group. By the way, author Blanky-Voronov and Gilboa analyzes a study

focusing on the “Ensemble” treatment, which is aimed to increase the efficiency of social skills

in children with deficiencies. The treatment involved 24 children spreaded out into four groups

during the one year that lasted the treatment (1). The researchers conducted both quantitative and

qualitative analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The quantitative analysis

was watching different sessions and counting when one of the twelve typical oriented behaviors

happened. The results demonstrated an increased improvement on 9 out of 12 social skills

throughout all of the four “Ensemble” groups (6). Qualitative interviewers were conducted by

mothers, teachers, and people in charge of the kids before and after the treatment of the children.

These more personal interviewers showed the improvements shown during the different sessions

were evident at a home and scholar environment as well. Overall, both of these studies have

proven that music therapy has a high potential with interventions when they address behavioral

problems and deficiencies with social skills; additionally, they remark the importance of using a

combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to comprehensively assess the efficiency of

such interventions.

Surgical Patients

Last, but not least, utlizing musical treatment as an adjunct therapy for patints undergoing

surgical procedures shows potential in mitigating preoperative anxiety, promoting relaxation, and

improving postoperative recovery outcomes music therapy among thoracic and general surgery
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has proven to be effective in relieving the stress and pain provided by operations. In addition,

scholar Liang, et al. states surgery anxiety is frequently observed in patients, especially in those

receiving non general anesthesia, as various stimuli during the surgery can be perceptible (2).

Fortunately, as scholar Liang, et al. stated by Fu, they concluded that music can abate the

neuroendocrine stress response caused by surgery as well as improve postoperative satisfaction

(3). On the other hand, as scholars Liu and Petrini stated “anxiety is a psychological disorder that

can cause many adverse effects'' (714). Scholars Liu and Petrini, also describe the consequences

of anxiety during a surgical treatment such as: elevated heart rate, fatigue, loss appetite and

weight, difficulty to sleep, etc. Therefore, the statements previously presented by scholar Liang,

et al. and author Liu and Petrini give readers insight into the disadvantages that anxiety brings to

the patient when undergoing surgery. Not to mention that no matter what area of surgery a

patient may be in (thoracic, nasal, intestinal, etc.) stress can impact a patient's life and the

doctor’s process at the surgery. During the analysis by Liang, et al., the methods implemented in

the patients were verified from two aspects: the first subjective feelings of patients and subjective

observation by medical staff (2). Then, Lu and Petrini was transferred to the MP3 player before

the intervention, with earphones connected, and volume was co-researcher prepare to the patient

and environment (for evitate disturbance everyone turned off cell phones, as also noises from the

door), and tried patients to keep their breathing smooth, relaxed, and focused on music (716).

Both schoalrs try to be aware of the patients’ feelings, so that the musical treatments procedure

continues without precedent.

Works Cited

Beck, B. D, et al. “Music Therapy was Noninferior to Verbal Standard Treatment of

Traumatized Refugges in Menta: Results from a randomized clinical trial.” European

Journal Of Psychotraumatology, vol. 12, no. 1, 2021, pp. 1-16. Taylor & Francis

Journals Complete, https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1930960.

Blanky-Vornov, Raya, and Gilboa Avi. “The ‘Ensemble’ -A Group Music Therapy

Treatmet for Developing Preschool Children’s Social Skills .” International Journal of

Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 15, 2022, pp. 1-13. Health

Research Premium Collection, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159446.

Govindan, Radhakrishnan et al. “The Effectiveness of Nurses Implemented Music Add-

on Therapy in Children with Behavioral Problems.” Indian Journal of Psychological

Medicine, vol. 42, no. 3, 2020, pp. 274-279. DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals,

10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_240_19.

Kwok, Sylvia YCL. "Integrating Positive Psychology and Elements of Music Therapy to

Alleviate Adolescent Anxiety." Research on Social Work Practice, vol. 29, no. 6, 2019,

pp. 664-676. Sage Journals, https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731518773423.

Liang, Jing, et al. “Applicaton Of Music Therapy in General Surgical Treatment.”

BioMed Researcn International, vol. 2021, 2021, pp. 1-5. Health Research Premium

Collection, https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6169183.

Liebowitz, Marian et al. “Participatory Choral Music as a Means of Engagement in a

Veterans’ Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Setting.” Arts and Health, vol. 7, no.
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2, 2015, pp.137-150. Taylor and Francis Journals Complete,

10.1080/17533015.2014.999246.

Liu, Yang, and Marcia A. Petrini. "Effects of Music Therapy on Pain, Anxiety, and Vital

Signs in Patients After Thoracic Surgery." Complementary therapies in medicine, vol. 23,

no. 5, 2015, pp. 715-718. National Library of Medicine, 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.08.002.

Sha, Liu, and Genqiang Li. “Analysis of the Effect of Music Therapy Interventions on

College Students with Excessive Anxiety.” Health Research Premium Collection, vol.

2023, 2023, pp.1-11. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3351918.