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Tryana Cervantes

ENGL 1302-231

Dr. Sharity Nelson

1 March 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 have conducted a multitude of research regarding the significant

impact music has for treating health issues. Within the research, scholars have been both in

agreement and disagreements; however, they have found significant findings regarding this

investigation. It is therefore not surprising to people that music is now a reliable treatment to

help treat people suffering from fragile mental health, anxiety, children, and even for people

undergoing surgery.

Mental Health

To begin with, the idea of mental health among veterans has been studied in relation to

music improving it. For instance, Scholar Liebowitz has been focusing on the participation of a

choral group that influenced the sense of belonging to veterans’ mental health; specifically, in

recovering from psychiatric disabilities, substance dependency, and homelessness (137). On the

other hand, scholar Beck, has a similar statement as author Liebowitz as both of them stated

music as a beneficial treatment for patients with mental disabilities (2). However, although both

authors reach the same conclusion, their methods, main focus, and collection of information from

other authors is different. With Liebowitz, 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 psychological, sustained by service members result in adversity for
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their mental health, provoking in consequence substance abuse and homelessness as a result of

the conflicts.

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

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

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 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 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, 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 a comprehensive 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
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interviewers with choir participants were conducted at the study site at 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 included a phase-oriented trauma therapy course of 16 weekly one-hour sessions

(5). As was described, despite both authors' similar conclusion, their methods were completely

different, author Beck 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 states by Carr “music therapy to waitlists

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

Anxiety

Following both studies investigated the effectiveness of intervention for reducing anxiety

symptoms among specific populations. Author Liu stated music therapy interventions were

examined for college students with excessive anxiety, while author Kwok study focused on a

protocol integrating positive psychology and music therapy for adolescents with anxiety

symptoms. 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 measures related to mental health and well-being. The first

study reported reductions in anxiety scores among college students receiving music therapy
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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

At this time, music therapy among children with behavioral and deficiency in social skills

has been provided to be effective. Scholar Govindan 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 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 analyzes
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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. They remark the importance

of using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to comprehensively assess the

efficiency of such interventions.

Surgical Treatment

Last, but not least, music therapy among troracic and genereal surgery has proven to be

effective in relieving the stress and pain provided by operations. In addition, scholar Liang states

surgery anxiety is frequently obseved in patients, especially in those receiving nongeneral

anesthesia, as various stimuli during the surgery can be perceptible (2). Meanwhile, author Liu

Fortunately, as author Liang stated by Fu, they concluded that music can abate the

neuroendocrine stress response caused by surgery. Also, they stated that music improves

postoperative satisfaction (3). On the other hand, as author Liu stated “anxiety is a phychological

disorder that can cause many adverse effects'' (714). Author Liu, also describes the consequences
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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 author Liang

and author Liu give readers insight into the disadvantages thatanxiety brings to the patient when

undergoing surgery. Not to mention that no matter what area of surgery a patient may be in

(troracic, nasal, intestinal, etc.) stress can impact a patient's life and the doctor’s process at the

surgery. During the analysis by Liang, the methods implemented in the patients were verified

from two aspects: the first subjective feelings of patients and subjectve observation by medical

staff (2). Then, Liu 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

disburbance 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 authors try to be aware

of the patients’ feelings, so that the musical treatments procedure continues without precedent.

Conclusion

As a result, music is an effective treatment that helps patients treat their disabilities,

which may include mental health, anxiety, children, and even for people undergoing surgery. For

musical treatment among mental health, author Liebowitz uses music students to guide veterans,

with deficiency in their mental health, to use ther voice as a method of de-stres in a choir.

Meanwhile, with author Beck refugees with a terrible mental health use sessions of music

therapy while patients are on their therapy. Both authors stated music as a beneficial treatment

for patients with mental disabilities At the same time, with music therapy in anxiety both studies

utilized a randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the intervention. Author Liu stated

music therapy interventions were examined for college students with excessive anxiety, while

author Kwok study focused on a protocol integrating positive psychology and music therapy for
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adolescents with anxiety symptoms. Next, children with behavioral problems and with social

discapacities is demonstrated to have an improvement in their social skills, and at the same time

with music their behaviour has been restaured. At the end, with surgical treatment, patients are

able to minimize anxiety impacts, by this way, doctors can continue with the surgery with

complete confidence.