MUSIC IN MENTAL HEALTH

• WHAT IS MUSIC?
• THE ART OF PRODUCING
PLEASANT OR EXPRESSIVE
COMBINATIONS OF TONES
ESPECIALLY WITH MELODY,
RHYTHM, AND USUALLY
HARMONY.

• WHY MUSIC IS IMPORTANT IN OUR
LIFE?
• MUSIC CAN RAISE SOMEONE’S MOOD, GET
THEM EXCITED, OR MAKE THEM CALM
AND RELAXED. MUSIC ALSO – AND THIS IS
IMPORTANT – ALLOWS US TO FEEL NEARLY
OR POSSIBLY ALL EMOTIONS THAT WE
EXPERIENCE IN OUR LIVES.

• WHY IS MUSIC SO LOVED?
• DOPAMINE RELEASE IS STRONGEST
WHEN A PIECE OF MUSIC REACHES AN
EMOTIONAL PEAK AND THE LISTENER
FEELS “CHILLS”— THE SPINE-TINGLING
SENSATION OF EXCITEMENT.

• HEALTH BENEFITS OF MUSIC
•IT ELEVATES MOOD. …
•IT REDUCES STRESS. …
•IT RELIEVES SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION.
…
•IT STIMULATES MEMORIES. …
•IT MANAGES EMOTION. …

• MOOD
• ACTIVE MUSIC-MAKING POSITIVELY
AFFECTS NEUROTRANSMITTERS, SUCH
AS DOPAMINE AND SEROTONIN, THAT
INFLUENCE MOOD. DOPAMINE
INFLUENCES FOCUS, CONCENTRATION,
MEMORY, SLEEP, MOOD AND
MOTIVATION. LIKEWISE, SEROTONIN
IMPACTS MOOD, SLEEP PATTERNS,
ANXIETY AND PAIN.

• STRESS
•A SLOWER TEMPO CAN QUIET
YOUR MIND AND RELAX YOUR
MUSCLES, MAKING YOU FEEL
CALM WHILE RELEASING THE
STRESS OF THE DAY. MUSIC IS
EFFECTIVE FOR RELAXATION
AND STRESS MANAGEMENT.

• DEPRESSION
• LISTENING TO LIVE MUSIC ALSO HAS
BEEN LINKED TO A RELEASE OF
OXYTOCIN, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE
LOVE OR TRUST NEUROTRANSMITTER.
OXYTOCIN HELPS US BOND WITH
OTHERS AND SOCIALIZE, WHICH CAN
BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF TREATING
MOOD DISORDERS LIKE DEPRESSION.

• EMOTION
• LISTENING TO (OR MAKING) MUSIC
INCREASES BLOOD FLOW TO BRAIN
REGIONS THAT GENERATE AND
CONTROL EMOTIONS. THE LIMBIC
SYSTEM, WHICH IS INVOLVED IN
PROCESSING EMOTIONS AND
CONTROLLING MEMORY, “LIGHTS” UP
WHEN OUR EARS PERCEIVE MUSIC.

• THAYER GASTON, KNOWN AS THE “FATHER OF
MUSIC THERAPY,”
• MUSIC THERAPY IS THE CLINICAL USE OF MUSIC TO
ACCOMPLISH INDIVIDUALIZED GOALS SUCH AS
REDUCING STRESS, IMPROVING MOOD AND SELF-
EXPRESSION. IT IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED THERAPY
WELL-ESTABLISHED IN THE HEALTH COMMUNITY.
MUSIC THERAPY EXPERIENCES MAY INCLUDE
LISTENING, SINGING, PLAYING INSTRUMENTS, OR
COMPOSING MUSIC.
• MUSIC THERAPY

• TYPES OF MUSIC THERAPY
• RECEPTIVE MUSIC THERAPY-LISTENING BASED METHOD
• ACTIVE MUSIC THERAPY- PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

• BENEFITS OF MUSIC THERAPY 🎶
• LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE.
• IMPROVING MEMORY.
• ENHANCED COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL SKILLS THROUGH EXPERIENCING MUSIC
WITH OTHERS.
• SELF-REFLECTION. OBSERVING YOUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS.
• REDUCING MUSCLE TENSION.
• INCREASING MOTIVATION.
• MANAGING PAIN.
• INCREASING JOY.