MUSIC THERAPY

Music Therapy and Treating Psychosis in Schizophrenic Patients

Music Therapy and Treating Psychosis in Schizophrenic Patients

Introduction

Finding adequate treatment solutions for individuals with serious mental illness continues to present challenges for mental health professionals. These individuals are more likely than other populations to drop-out of treatment and functionally deteriorate as a result. Music therapy has become a popular treatment modality for this population. Music therapy is provided in both individual and group formats and comprises a variety of interventions including singing, improvisation, song writing, music games, music listening, lyric analysis, and music lessons. Most of the interventions are supplemented by a processing component, in which thoughts, feelings, and experiences are evoked by the music.

Discussion

Today we know that music has a number of physiological effects. Music influences the breathing rate, blood pressure, stomach contractions and hormone levels. The heart rates speed up or slow turn so that the rhythms are synchronized with music. We also know that music can alter the electrical rhythms of the brain. Music therapy holds that what you hear can affect your health positively or negatively. Sound can be a great healer (Hart, 2008).

Music therapists use sound to help with a wide variety of medical problems ranging from Alzheimer's disease to the toothache. Medical doctors know about the power of sound. Researchers have produced evidence of the ability of music to reduce pain, improve memory and reduce stress (Erlmann, 2004).

Music therapy is defined as the “clinical and evidenced-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship” . Various music therapy interventions have been studied, presented in both individual and group formats and facilitated by several kinds of providers in addition to music therapists. Music therapy interventions have included singing and instrumental lessons, individual and group performance, group singing, improvisation, music listening for relaxation, passive listening to background music or cassette tapes, and active listening to music that is accompanied by discussion, writing, or movement. Individuals with serious mental illness often have significant difficulty expressing their feelings and communicating with others. Music may re-connect these patients with their environment due to an innate, primitive affinity that all human beings possess towards music, which transcends verbal communication (Goodman, 2011).

In addition to the use of music as a means of communication, research suggests that music therapy is preferred over other types of psychiatric programming. Silverman (2006), for example, evaluated psychiatric inpatients' perception of music therapy and other aspects of psycho-educational and rehabilitative programming using ratings of perceived helpfulness and effectiveness. Results showed that music therapy was rated significantly higher than coping skills, substance abuse, community reentry, medication management, recreation therapy, and art class (Gold, 2006).

The basic scheme of work in this discipline involves three aspects: the patient's positive interaction with other beings, self-employment rate as a power generator and order. Music therapy acts as motivation for the development of self esteem, techniques that result in the individual feelings of self-realization, self-confidence, self-satisfaction and self-confidently. The pace, the basic element, dynamic and powerful music, is ...