Within modern psychiatry and in treatment of many different mental disorders have supplementary treatment with music therapy and music medicine won strong emphasis in recent years. Extensive research and a series of groundbreaking books in the field has paved the way for the music now being taken seriously as a positive medicine reducing and motivational remedy, without side effects, in the treatment of psychiatric patients. Most recently, writers such as Oliver Sacks ("Musicophelia") and Daniel Levitin ("This is Your Brain On Music") contributed to the debate with creative books that have put renewed focus on music's effect on our psyche and how our brains perceive and process music. Also the Danish Book "SansernesHospital" by Lars Heslet and Kim Dirkink-Holmfeldt focuses on the brain's perception of music and many other aspects of the environment surrounding patients.
Within research in Denmark has music therapist Torben Egelund Sørensen (Project Manager) and Dr. Jørgen Tybjerg (supervisor) in 2004 implemented a pilot project with anxious psychiatric patients at HorsensHospital. The project's success has been very influential in the recognition and use of music in psychiatry in Denmark and other Nordic countries, and today music therapy and music-medicine is a standardized offer for the patients at many hospitals and institutions dealing with psychiatric patients.
"Treatment with MusiCure is a completely different procedure than traditional music therapy," explains Torben Egelund Sørensen, music therapist in psychiatry department at Horsens hospital, and project manager for the pilot project with MusiCure.
”When using MusiCure alone are we not talking about using music instead of music therapy as psychotherapy. With MusiCure, it’s the music alone that stimulates the brain, sending signals of peace and no danger to the body” he explains. “When the brain hear sounds it knows, it relaxes and sends calming hormones into the body, signalling peace and tranquillity. Pulse and blood pressure decreases. The brain emits including the hormone melatonin, which is the substance that indicates sleep. Therefore, patients also find it easier to fall asleep, "says Torben Egelund.
”When using MusiCure alone are we not talking about using music instead of music therapy as psychotherapy. With MusiCure, it’s the music alone that stimulates the brain, sending signals of peace and no danger to the body” he explains. “When the brain hear sounds it knows, it relaxes and sends calming hormones into the body, signalling peace and tranquillity. Pulse and blood pressure decreases. The brain emits including the hormone melatonin, which is the substance that indicates sleep. Therefore, patients also find it easier to fall asleep, "says Torben Egelund.
The complete article: ”Treatment of psychiatric patients suffering from anxiety using MusiCure – a pilot study” under Publications and Articles
Aticle (Danish text only): ’Fag & Arbejde’ fagbladet for FOA Music as Medicine
Artikel i ’Midt i Psykiatrien’ (side 17): Music as Medicine
Additional areas where music is used for children (and parents) are birth situations, music intervention for premature infants, children with ADHD, kindergartens and schools, and recreational institutions.
Example of feedback from parents with ADHD children:
Example of feedback from parents with ADHD children:
”My 5½-year-old son has ADHD/DAMP and has had difficulty sleeping because he is so restless, some days being worse than others.
I heard about the music and went to the pharmacy. I turned it on for the first time when we got home from work/pre-school, and what happened? We both fell asleep.
It is incredibly soothing and relaxing, and as my son says: ‘Mummy, it’s sleep music!'
Since then I have played it in his room when he has had difficulty sleeping or is having a bad day.
I heard about the music and went to the pharmacy. I turned it on for the first time when we got home from work/pre-school, and what happened? We both fell asleep.
It is incredibly soothing and relaxing, and as my son says: ‘Mummy, it’s sleep music!'
Since then I have played it in his room when he has had difficulty sleeping or is having a bad day.