The Impact of Music on Mental Health
Interview with Mark Schaefer
In this conversation, Mark Schaefer shares his journey of navigating grief after the loss of his brother to suicide. He discusses how music became a vital tool for emotional expression and healing, emphasizing the importance of support systems and community in the grieving process. Mark highlights the significance of finding safe spaces to share emotions and the therapeutic effects of music, including the unique frequency he uses in his compositions. The discussion culminates in a message of hope and gratitude, encouraging others to seek help and not suffer in silence.
Mark is not alone in their struggle.
Music can be a vital tool for emotional expression and healing through grief
Music offered Mark relief from the overwhelming guilt and grief he felt after his brother committed suicide. Only after his brother’s death, did Mark discover he’s struggle with depression and schizophrenia. And that only increased the intensity – and burden – of his grief. So Mark turned to music to cope with his grief.
He’s not alone. In fact, a growing body of research proves music can help you deal with many mental health conditions. You can find links to some of that research in the show notes. But here’s a quick summary of some of the most encouraging findings. It turns out that our brains are wired for music. Just like they’re wired for speech. And music also has a big impact on the brain.
Just ask musicians.
In one survey, 73% of the independent musicians said they had mental health struggles. Many famous musicians have talked about coping with depression and even thoughts of suicide. That includes Adele, Alains Morrisett, Ariana Grande, Billie Elish, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi and many others.
Here’s a list of some of the benefits compiled by The American Psychiatric Association.
Music Therapy can:
- Reduce stress.
- Reduce symptoms of serious mental illness.
- Improve mental wellness and reduce both stress and pain.
- Promote emotional release and enhance a sense of community.
- Increase emotional competence.
Another study published in Behavior Brain and Immunity Health also summarized the surprisingly broad impact of music therapy. Music can
- Affect heart rate
- Improve motor skills.
- Bolster the immune system.
- Reduce agitation and anxiety in dementia patients.
- Singing reduces stress in infants.
- And music Improves reduces anxiety and depression in children.
- It can Improve communication in children with autism.
- Reduce cell inflammation.
- Affect levels of calming neurotransmitters in the brain.
Another study in Translational Psychiatry focused on why music has such profound impact on the brain – and on our emotions. They said we’ve love music for a long time. One archeological dig found 40,000 year-old bone flutes. Almost every culture has music. And things like octaves show up in musical systems world wide. That suggests are brains are built for music. The article summarized hundreds of research studies that documented the effect of music.
Among the findings:
- Human beings have a unique ability to not only respond to rhythm – but to anticipate and
notices changes in the beat. - Brain circuits have oscillations that echo the oscillation in music itself.
- The areas of the brain that respond to music also respond to speech.
- Music also affects the areas of the brain that control movement.
- Music also stimulates the reward circuits of the brain.
- Drugs that block the opiate receptors in the brain – also dull the response to music.
I’ve always loved music. It has comforted me, energized me, cheered me up. But I was amazed at all the research. So Mark had the right idea. We’re wired for music. We’re wired for joy. And that makes music a great tool on your mental health journey. If you want to see how to get copies of the research I’ve mentioned – check our show notes. Thanks for watching Strength Beyond Struggle
