Using music to mitigate acting out

Using music to mitigate acting out

Most people who act out (bullying, gun violence, etc.) do so because access to care is difficult at best. The demand far exceeds the supply. For example: In Davidison County where I live a recent needs assessment states that the ratio between therapists and people who are looking for treatment is 1 therapist to 740 people!

There IS an alternative for the vast majority of people looking for relief. Ask yourself these questions:

Are you experiencing symptoms that affect your mental wellness? Anxiety? Depression?

Are you frustrated because it’s next to impossible to find relief through the healthcare system?

Is there someone in your family that is having difficulty coping?

Do you feel powerless to help because you don’t know what to do?

There are simple steps you can take while you wait for a therapy appointment.

What would that be?

Imagine this: there is something that you have access to, that you can use whenever you want, that can help you from sliding into despair.

What is it?

Music.

Music has been shown to effect our neurological and physiological brain function. Why not learn how to use something as ubiquitous as water to provide relief?

Music and Mental Wellness

Music can be a valuable tool for individuals who are struggling with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Music shouldn’t be construed as a replacement for medical intervention. However, music can be used in the interim with substantial benefits by using music as:

• A mood regulator
• A distraction
• A coping skill.

This is not anecdotal. Peer-reviewed studies related to the question of whether music can help prevent violent acting out:

1.  "Music therapy as an adjunct to standard treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled trial" (Barrera et al., 2019): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6624703/
2.  "The effect of music therapy on depression and physiological parameters in elderly people living in a nursing home: A randomized controlled trial" (Lin et al., 2018): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6242229/
3.  "The use of music therapy to reduce agitation in patients with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis" (Gómez-Romero et al., 2020): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7088902/
4.  "Music interventions for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients" (Bradt et al., 2016): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270569/
5.  "Music as a therapeutic intervention for anxiety in patients receiving radiation therapy" (Kumar et al., 2016): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4902976/

These studies provide evidence for the potential benefits of music in managing mental health and reducing negative behaviors such as violence.