Mental health and music go a long way back. Established as a profession post World War II, music therapy has become an important part of therapeutic and health care settings internationally. It is defined as a systematic process of intervention where the therapist helps the client to promote health, using musical experiences and the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change. It aims to develop potentials and/or restore functions of the individual so that he or she can achieve better intra- and inter-personal integration and, consequently, a better quality life through prevention, rehabilitation or treatment. It is a process designed to facilitate and promote communication, relationships, learning, mobilization, expression, organization and other relevant therapeutic objectives, in order to meet physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs.
Music and its Effects on Brain Functions
Engaging with music is known to have benefits for the cognitive, emotional, physiological as well as social well-being of an individual. This is because music engages different cognitive functions such as information processing, language, memory and executive functions. Additionally, while music is a strong elicitor of emotions, it also facilitates emotional regulation. It activates the network associated with emotion as well as emotional processing. It is known to activate the reward centre of the brain and also alters pain perception, relaxation, blood pressure, respiration and heart rate. Neurochemical changes due to music can be viewed in four different domains:
- Reward, motivation and pleasure, mediated by dopamine and opioids.
- Stress and arousal, mediated by cortisol, corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH).
- Immunity, mediated by serotonin and peptide derivatives.
- Social affiliation, mediated by oxytocin.
Therefore, music is an apt intervention to address multiple domains, such as cognitive, emotional, social domains of functioning, which are adversely affected in psychological concerns.
For example, listening to a familiar calming song after a stressful day may help a person feel more relaxed, while an upbeat song may improve their mood and motivation.
Mental Health and Music
In psychotherapy, music therapy is used in an active way as a combination of playing instruments, singing, movement, and in a passive way in which music is listened to and discussed. It has been used as an adjunct therapy for a host of conditions that we will discuss below.Depression
Several research studies have indicated that music therapy has a significant effect on depressive symptoms, stimulates beneficial feelings and decreases levels of depression. Music offers a way to treat the loss of pleasure in daily activities (a major concern in clients who are depressed). Low levels of dopamine in the brain and a low number of dopamine receptors constitute two of the main causes of depression. When these individuals listen to Mozart’s music, it improves their dopaminergic neurotransmission, and regulates and/or affects various brain functions. It is therefore effective in treating symptoms related to the condition. Music also activates brain regions involved in reward and emotion, and can provoke intensely pleasurable responses in these areas. This becomes a way of increasing positive affect and that is why it helps in reducing depressive symptomatology.
For example, a person experiencing depression may use music-making or familiar songs as a way to reconnect with pleasure and engagement when everyday activities no longer feel enjoyable.
Anxiety
Music modulates brain activity in regions associated with emotion and mood regulation, reducing state anxiety, restlessness, and subjective distress. It triggers neurotransmitter release, including endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine, which contribute to well-being and anxiety reduction. It decreases heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels, all of which are associated with anxiety. Furthermore, it provides a distraction from anxiety-inducing thoughts, thereby enhancing its therapeutic impact. Music therapy for anxiety may be used in 2 ways:
- Receptive methods such as listening to live or recorded music, facilitated by a trained therapist, and includes techniques like music-assisted relaxation, guided imagery, and lyric analysis.
- Active methods such as creating music through singing, playing instruments, improvisation, or songwriting.
For anxiety, utilization of receptive methods or a combination of receptive and active methods proves to be the most beneficial. Receptive methods, offered or designed by music therapists, demonstrate the strongest effects, making them an ideal choice in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
For example, a therapist may use slow, calming music with guided breathing to help a client settle their physical symptoms of anxiety and feel more grounded.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition characterized by enduring symptoms of distressing memory intrusions, avoidance, emotional disturbance, and hyperarousal after exposure to a traumatic incident. When music therapy is employed as a professional tool in the treatment of this condition, it may address and reduce prominent symptoms of posttraumatic stress, including emotionally-dysregulating intrusions, avoidance, negative alterations in mood, and arousal and high reactivity. For individuals diagnosed with this condition, music therapy works as a resilience-enhancing intervention that helps these individuals harness their ability to recover elements of normality in their life following great adversity. Resilience is cultivated through processes that reduce stress and fear, increase self-confidence, and foster social support – all of which are addressed by music therapy. Music helps in reducing cortisol levels and subjective reports of stress, increase dopamine in the brain and foster connectedness to one’s community (when conducted in a group). All of this can directly combat many symptoms present among individuals with posttraumatic stress.
For example, a therapist may use carefully selected music to help a person with PTSD feel safe, regulate their arousal and gradually reconnect with difficult emotions.
Social Skills in Children with Autism
Children with autism have difficulties with direct social engagement. Musical activities provide them with valuable opportunities for interactions with social partners. They also have difficulties in the process and control of emotions, but they can identify rich emotions embedded in the music as well as a normal child. In fact the brain regions associated with speech and listening are stimulated much better in children with autism while listening to music compared with typical developing children. Additionally, these children manifest impairment in applying nonverbal behaviors which is needed to regulate interaction and communication. When songs and chants in groups lead to rhythm of speech and body movement, they highlight the nonverbal aspects of music, thereby improving nonverbal behaviours in children with autism and enhancing their social skills. ASD individuals have their own innate musical processing and perception skills which help in enhancing the social skills among them.
For example, children may sing a familiar song together, taking turns with sounds or movements and practising shared attention and interaction through the activity.
Music can reach us in ways that words sometimes cannot. From regulating emotions and reducing distress to supporting communication, connection, and engagement, music therapy can be a meaningful addition to mental health care for some individuals and concerns. However, its impact depends on the person, the therapeutic goals, and how it is used. Because listening to music on your own is not the same as receiving music therapy from a trained professional. Ultimately, the relationship between mental health and music is not about music being a cure-all, but about recognising another pathway through which people can express, process, connect, and heal. When thoughtfully integrated with appropriate treatment, music can become part of the healing process.
Photo Credits: cosmaa
Citations
Bharathi, G., Venugopal, A., & Vellingiri, B. (2019). Music therapy as a therapeutic tool in improving the social skills of autistic children. The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, 55(1), 44.
Castillo-Pérez, M. S., Gómez-Pérez, B. V., Pérez-Campos, P. E., & Mayoral, P. M. A. (2010). Effects of music therapy on depression compared with psychotherapy. The Arts in psychotherapy, 37(5), 387-390.
De Witte, M., Aalbers, S., Vink, A., Friederichs, S., Knapen, A., Pelgrim, T., … & Van Hooren, S. (2025). Music therapy for the treatment of anxiety: a systematic review with multilevel meta-analyses. EClinicalMedicine, 84.
Hegde, S. (2017). Music therapy for mental disorder and mental health: the untapped potential of Indian classical music. BJPsych international, 14(2), 31-33.
Landis-Shack, N., Heinz, A. J., & Bonn-Miller, M. O. (2017). Music therapy for posttraumatic stress in adults: A theoretical review. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, 27(4), 334.
Lee, J., & Thyer, B. A. (2013). Does music therapy improve mental health in adults? A review. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 23(5), 591-603.
Ruchi Om
About the author
Ruchi Om is the founder of ‘the mind talk’ and a counsellor registered with ACA. She believes that the road to personal growth and development might prove challenging at times but it is worth it. She believes that we all have agency and we must move forward in life with intention and purpose. In addition, she continues to specialise in learning and training in classrooms and trains parents in the art of parenting and conflict management.
Sakshi
About the author
Sakshi is a clinical psychologist with a deep passion for understanding human behavior, a strong drive for research, and a keen eye for psychological intricacies. Committed to continuous learning, she seeks to explore every facet of psychology, from theory to practice, to better support and empower individuals. With a curiosity that fuels her pursuit of knowledge, she strives to bridge the gap between research and real-world applications, making psychology more accessible and impactful.
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