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Music Therapy & Mental Health


In the modern world, we often hear how people across all age groups are increasingly struggling with

aspects of their mental well-being, including anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. A 2022 report

published by the World Health Organisation found a 25% increase in anxiety since the start of the

COVID-19 pandemic, and an NHS report using data from 2023-2024 found that an average of 500

children a day are being referred to mental health teams for anxiety related challenges1


.

The reasons behind this increase are complex and multi-faceted, and are closely linked to a person’s

profession, economic background, and family circumstances. There is no single root cause and there is no

single quick fix. This poses the question of what can we be doing to promote our own mental wellbeing

and support those who may be struggling with theirs, and where/ how does music therapy come into this?

Music therapy has a growing evidence base for its efficacy in supporting those with mental health

challenges, including anxiety and depression, as well as a building emotional resilience and working

through trauma. From the early 2000’s to present day, music therapy continues to be researched so that

we can understand more about how music therapy supports people with mental health difficulties.

Emotional regulation

Regulating our emotions can be difficult for the best of us, how we feel and react, and how we manage

that can be influenced by a huge spectrum of things raging from how we are sleeping to what/ when we

are eating, and sometimes these things are beyond our control. However, for those with mental health

challenges emotional regulation becomes even more of a battle. People may experience extreme highs

and lows, fluctuating quickly between the two in a way that can be exhausting and disorientating for

themselves and those around them. Feelings of overwhelm may bubble to the surface multiple times a

day, and this may lead to unsafe, irrational, or uncontrolled behaviours.


Music therapy can support our ability to emotionally regulate in several ways, both at a biological and

psychological level. Music listening and playing involves both sides of the brain, and elicits hormonal

changes within the body. When listening to music (particularly music we like) there is an increase in

dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin all of which are chemicals that control are feelings of pleasure and

reduce feelings of anxiety, which supports our overall emotional regulation. Musical elements (such as

rhythm, speed, volume, and timbre), can further be adapted to promote either states of relaxation or

arousal as appropriate.


Psychologically, the music can allow for expression of difficult or overwhelming emotions in a safe

context via a medium that does not require the client to articulate or structure their thoughts and

feelings. Musical improvisation allows the client to have free expression, meaning unconscious thoughts

and feelings can be expressed, thought about and reflected on with the therapist. Through verbal

reflection after the music, the therapist can guide the client to form more structured and coherent thoughts about their feelings and experiences, and think about how to communicate those to others in a

way that doesn’t trigger emotional overwhelm or potential conflict.


Staying present

For those experiencing mental health struggles, staying present can be a challenging thing. Either

frequent ruminations on the past, intense worries about the future, or flashbacks to previous experiences,

the idea of leaving that behind and being focused on the here and now is a rare luxury for some.

In music therapy, both music listening and playing are used to help the client engage with the present

moment. Breathing, walking, or playing in time to music requires co-ordination, focus, and active

listening which draws the client into focusing on that specific moment in time. Your therapist can guide

you through listening to music, and provide you with structured and practical techniques for how you can

use music outside the therapy room to capture that feeling of being grounded and present.

Musical play itself is an extremely rounded experience that involves nearly all the senses, you use touch,

listening, looking, and embody the music in a physical and emotional way. Live music making with

another person requires one to be constantly adjusting and responding, leading people to be focused and

active in the present moment, releasing tension and anxiety.


Enhanced connection

As I have spoken about so much in previous blogs, a central component to music therapy is the

therapeutic relationship between client and therapist, getting that sense of connection. For those battling

mental health challenges, isolation is a huge additional risk factor and can have great influence over a

person’s recovery or potential decline, and music therapy can support a person’s recovery by providing

connection and contact.


Making music with someone else contains many of the same stages that you would expect to come

across when conducting a verbal conversation. There is listening, responding, turn taking, mirroring,

empathy, and emotional expression all wrapped up between two people making music together. Both

client and therapist are experiencing a social interaction, one that can bring joy, curiosity, clarity, or hope

to both parties. Through continuing to engage in building connections with other, clients can strengthen

their emotional resilience, boost their cognitive function, and nurture a sense of belonging and purpose,

all of which promote healthy mental wellbeing.


Group music therapy can further emphasise the benefits of social connection, providing a wider support

network, increased validation, and more social contact.


At Music House Education, we provide music therapy for those up to the age of 25 years old who may be

struggling with mental health related challenges. If you would like to know more about our music therapy

provision please contact our in-house music therapist on the email below and they will be happy to offer

advice, support, and further information.




References and Further Reading

• The transformative power of music: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease. Journal of

Brain, Behaviour and Immunity- Health, December 2023:

• Children’s Commissioner responds to new figures on children referred to mental health support

for anxiety. Children’s Commissioner, September 2024:


figures-on-children-referred-to-mental-health-support-for-anxiety/


• COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide.


World Health Organisation, March 2022: https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-

19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide


• Effect of music therapy on emotional resilience, well-being, and employability: a quantitative

investigation of mediation and moderation. BMC Psychology, January 2025:

• Four Ways Music Strengthens Social Interactions. Psychology Today, July 2022:


strengthens-social-interactions


• How Music Therapy can Help Anxious Children: NHS Wales: https://heiw.nhs.wales/files/blog-

how-music-therapy-can-help-anxious-children/


• Music therapy for depression. Cochrane Database, November 2017:

• The effects of music on the brain: a chemical cocktail for mental and physical health. Medicinal

• Music Therapy Conversations- Dr Philippa Derrington (BAMT Podcast):


derrington?ps=SwbstQ2sJo4c8rCTNoZF9v1ik2fS41


• Music Therapy Conversations- Dr Ketrina McFerran (BAMT Podcast):


® Martha Raban 

Music House Education 2025

 
 
 

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