#but lower/impaired empathy can worsen symptoms of social anxiety

[teenagefeeling]

this is somewhat random but i find the relationship of empathy to social anxiety very fascinating and i also don't understand it at all

[ghaw2007]

6 Music Therapy Benefits

6 Music Therapy Benefits

1. Reduces Anxiety & Physical Effects of Stress

An article published in the Southern Medical Journal states that “Although there are wide variations in individual preferences, music appears to exert direct physiologic effects through the autonomic nervous system.” (1) Music has the ability to cause immediate motor and emotional responses, especially when combining movement and stimulation of different sensory pathways.

When instrument playing is involved, both auditory and tactile stimulation help produce a state of mental relaxation. Music is now used as a form of natural therapy for many different diseases, even showing benefits for those who are severely physically or cognitively impaired — such as handicapped children, geriatric adults suffering from late-stage chronic illnesses, or those with severe social anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder.

Not surprisingly, studies have found that MT seems to have the most benefits when combined with other interdisciplinary practices, such as physical exercise, occupational and speech therapy, psychological counseling, improved nutrition and social support.

2. Improves Healing 

One of the ways that MT is being used in hospital settings is improving healing by reducing anxiety prior to procedures or tests. Studies have found that MT lowers anxiety in patients undergoing cardiac procedures and seems to relax patients after surgery or during follow-up invasive diagnostic procedures.

It’s suggested that music can positively modify release of stress hormones that are beneficial for neurological, immune, respiratory and cardiac functions involved in healing. (2)

3. Can Help Manage Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s

Both anecdotal evidence and clinical studies show that MT improves both cognitive functions and quality of life in patients suffering from cognitive impairments, including Parkinson’s (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). According to a report printed in the World Journal of Psychiatry, “Mood disorder and depressive syndromes represent a common comorbid condition in neurological disorders with a prevalence rate that ranges between 20–5o percent of patients with stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. (3)

It’s been found that the act of music-making provides a form of uplifting therapy for these patients that helps them cope with progressive worsening of symptoms, as well as offering stimulation to their senses and an element social support when sessions are conducted in groups.  (4)

In 2000, the American Psychosomatic Society published research regarding the positive effects of music therapy in helping to improve a number of symptoms in those with PD by managing things like sensory loss, disability or depression. According to the researchers, “Music acts as a specific stimulus to obtain motor and emotional responses by combining movement and stimulation of different sensory pathways.” The randomized, controlled, single-blinded study included 32 patients with Parkinson’s that were split into either the MT group or control. (5)

The study lasted three months and consisted of weekly sessions of music therapy combined with physical therapy (PT). During music therapy sessions, treatment consisted of group choral singing, voice exercises, rhythmic and free body movements, and active music involving collective invention. Physical therapy was also incorporated to include stretching exercises, specific motor tasks, and strategies to improve balance and gait.

After three months — using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, emotional functions with the Happiness Measure, and quality of life using the Parkinson’s Quality of Life Questionnaire — results showed that MT offered significant overall benefits compared to the control. Positive effects were measured for bradykinesia, motor improvement, control of emotional functions, improvements in activities of daily living, and improved overall quality of life. (6)

4. Reduces Depression & Other Symptoms in the Elderly

MT is now highly recommended in geriatric care settings due to how is helps improve social, psychological, intellectual and cognitive performance of older adults. Depression, feelings of isolation, boredom, anxiety over procedures and fatigue are common complaints among geriatric patients. Both active and passive MT seem to help with mood improvement, providing a sense of comfort and relaxation and even modifying caregiver behavior. (7)

Sessions have shown positive effects when conducted before anxiety-provoking procedures or for patients staying in intensive care units. For worried caregivers, music is considered a “cost-effective and enjoyable strategy to improve empathy, compassion and relationship-centered care.”

5. Helps Reduce Symptoms of Psychological Disorders, Including Schizophrenia

Findings from a very recent 2017 study conducted in South Korea indicate that a 12-week program of group music therapy served as an effective intervention for improving psychiatric symptoms and interpersonal relationships in patients with mental illness like schizophrenia. (8)

The music program used in the study, which was published in the Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, was modeled after Nanta, a popular and long-running type of non-verbal comedy show in South Korea that incorporates traditional samul nori rhythms. (9) The unifying elements throughout Nanta music are performed with improvised instruments, such as cutting boards, water canisters and kitchen knives, and are almost totally non-verbal. The intervention was conducted in 12 sessions over 12 weeks, taking 90 minutes per session.

6.  Improves Self-Expression & Communication

One of the longest-standing uses of music interventions is helping to treat those who are physically or mentally handicapped living in rehabilitation centers who have difficulty with self-expression. For those with physical handicaps, receptive music therapy is used to help patients have “flow experiences” when listening to stimulating music and to learn how to better respond through verbal and non-verbal feedback based on changing music stimuli. (10)

In children with developmental delays — such as autism or delayed speech development, who are more at risk of acquiring other cognitive, social-emotional, and school-related problems— music therapy helps facilitate speech development quickly (within about 8 weeks), teaches turn-taking, and improves imitation or vocalization.

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