The sound of healing: music and its benefits
Music is a powerful, healing tool that can bring people together. People across all cultures engage in music and the arts in various ways. Whether participating actively or passively, music is a fundamental part of daily life.
“Music picks up people’s spirits and brings people together, and that is something beautiful,” said Dr. Mark Kunik, geriatric psychiatrist and professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor. “It is great for social cohesion, especially today where there is so much division.”
While music produces good feelings for all, there is evidence behind music’s benefit for mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. Music can distract and relieve worries and pain. It also plays an important role for Alzheimer’s patients and those with dementia because music memory stays with people longer than other memory types.
Passively or actively participating by either making music or listening to it will help people reminisce and stay calm; it may lift their spirits. People with dementia can develop behavioral problems, such as agitation or aggression, and music is sometimes used to address those types of issues without prescribing medication.
“It’s amazing that someone can have moderate-to-severe memory problems, but they maintain their music memory and remember songs or prayers,” he said.
Kunik aims to find activities to reintroduce into the lives of his patients who experience less joy. He recommends music or prayer to the older adults experiencing anxiety or depression, and he sometimes works with caregivers to create a playlist for them. They might find great joy in listening to music or prayers from their place of worship and reciting lyrics and verses.
“One of the most common symptoms of dementia is apathy, so patients lose their interest and drive for doing many things they used to do. Music is something caregivers can provide that patients would enjoy,” Kunik said.
A low-cost and low-resource activity, listening to music allows older adults to remember good times, connect with their past and bond with others. Patients can easily listen to music in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and Kunik advocates for less television exposure and more music engagement in these facilities.
“Too often, TV is the media of choice in nursing homes, and I’m rallying against the amount of television, particularly news, older adults are watching,” Kunik said. “Limiting people’s news to one hour a day and substituting that with some music provides more joy and mental health.”
By Homa Warren
