Music Therapy may Help Depressed and Anxious Patients

A new study conducted by Finnish researchers reveals that providing music therapy sessions could be more helpful to patients suffering from depression and anxiety instead of just standard counseling. Researchers led by Professor Jaakko Erkkila at the University of Jyvaskyla conducted the study on 79 adults aged between 18 to 50 years of age, all of whom had been diagnosed with depression.

Around 46 of the participants received regular counseling, anti-depressants and psychotherapy while the remaining 33 received music therapy sessions in addition to the above three. The researchers found that those who received regular music therapy sessions displayed fewer symptoms compared to those from the first group.

“We found that people often expressed their inner pressure and feelings by drumming or with the tones produced with a mallet instrument. Some people described their playing experience as cathartic”, Professor Erkkila said. The study has been published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.


Source-Medindia