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Music Therapy: Implications for Recall, Mood, and Social Disorders


Abstract
Music therapy has received increasing attention over the last few decades. It has been used increasingly as an accompanying therapy in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders. Notwithstanding, application of music therapy in these interventions could be greater, and existing techniquescould be expanded. Even more, research suggests music therapy could be beneficial in other areas of psychotherapy that have been largely overlooked. These include applications of music therapy to memory-related interventions, cognitive rehabilitation, and the use of music as a positive “escape mechanism” from depression and anxiety, among other possibilities. This article gives a brief reviewof the existing research on some of these possible applications as well as suggestions for further research and implementation of music therapy within the field of psychotherapy.

Music Therapy: Implications for Recall, Mood and Social Disorders
While music therapy has received some attention in the treatment of mood disorders and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), there are still manypossibilities in these treatments that need investigation. Furthermore, other potential applications of music therapy have received little to no attention from the field of psychotherapy.
Music therapy, “an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals,” (American Music TherapyAssociation, 2012) could reasonably be called an umbrella term. Many different musical techniques are used as a tool to treat individuals suffering from a wide array of psychological problems, as the above definition suggests. For instance, music therapy has been used in treating autism, substance abuse disorders, depression and anxiety, and stress reduction, to mention only a few applications (Simpson& Keen, 2011; Suzuki, 1998; Yehuda, 2011). Techniques and exercises can range from drum circles, to songwriting, to classical music listening (Korhan et al., 2011; Silverman, 2012). Some form of music therapy can be found in almost any area of treatment.
While many interventions and applications exist, there are still many unexplored possible applications of music therapy, and even mostexisting treatments haven’t received sufficient investigation to determine their effectiveness. For example, there has been some research examining music’s effects on memory recall (Martin & Metha, 1997; Silverman, 2012), yet there is surprisingly little application of these findings in treatment of dementia-related disorders or other memory-related therapy interventions. According to Thaut(2010), it is possible that music has the ability to reach certain areas or processes of the brain that enable humans to recall information, in a way that nothing else can.
Other therapeutic effects of music have not been fully investigated. While many studies have explored the ability of music to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety (Guétin et al., 2009; Korhan et al., 2011; Suzuki, 1998), someimportant questions remain, such as: What are the elements of music therapy that actually contribute to a reduction of these symptoms? Do the patient’s preferences or style of music impact treatment outcome? In short, what are the mechanisms, relationships, and context of how it works?
Thus, many possibilities exist for further application of music therapy in a variety of clinical settings andtherapy interventions. The purpose of this article is to (1) give a brief review of current practical applications of music therapy, and (2) explore future implications and additional intervention possibilities in the treatment of various disorders. Those discussed in this article include memory disorders, ASDs, depression and anxiety.
Therapeutic Benefits of Music
Music has long been used...