Mental Health & Substance Abuse
In recent years, many people have experienced poor mental health, with over 30% of adults in the United States reporting symptoms of anxiety and/or depression in February 2023, according to KFF.org, an independent source for health policy research, polling, and news. Substance use and death rates due to substances have also worsened in the U.S. – drug overdose death rates increased by 50% from 2019 to 2021, primarily driven by fentanyl. Further, after a brief period of decline, suicide death rates increased in 2021 but remained just below the peak death rate in 2018. Negative mental health and substance use outcomes have also affected youth and young adults. This increase in mental health and substance use issues comes at a time when resources are already strained, and people with mental health diagnoses often face barriers to care. Among adults with symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder in 2022, over 20% report needing, but not receiving, mental health counseling or therapy.
Why use music therapy? Clients trust music… even when they may not trust their treatment team yet.
Music therapy is ‘play-based;’ we don’t work music, we play it. This creates a level of FUN to the client’s treatment. When compared to other treatment modalities which occur as ‘work,’ clients look forward to music therapy.
“Having music therapy brings a different approach to our common goal of helping client’s find life outside of addiction. Music therapy is unique and is an evidenced based practice that helps clients achieve their treatment goals. I would recommend music therapy to any organization as it can serve as an integral part of their treatment approach.” – Jacqueline Hoagland, Clinical Director, The Arrow House
To learn about how to implement a new, fun dimension of healing to your recovery program, contact us.
Memory Care
We all love listening to music, but research shows that engaging with music by singing, playing an instrument, and moving to it causes significant increases in cognitive ability and life satisfaction. Neurologist Oliver Sacks says that, “Music evokes emotion, and emotion can bring with it memory… it brings back the feeling of life when nothing else can.” In addition, when used appropriately, music can shift mood, manage stress-induced agitation, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function and coordinate motor movements.
Why use music? It recruits all available neural networks to interact with the music occurring in the moment.
Music therapy harnesses the fact that music acts like a memory marker. When we hear a song, it opens up all related memories to the music, giving us access to memories we otherwise forget about. Clients who often are not alert and oriented enough to be independent can recall entire song lyrics as well as detailed stories from earlier in life.
“Music Therapy is such an important part of our resident’s week. The joy on their faces is evident; they light up during music therapy! Knowing that the music therapists are addressing clinical goals of increasing cognition, reality orientation, and socialization in such a FUN WAY is why music therapy is an integral part of our programming.” – Rose Street, Activities Director, Carmel Village
To learn about how to implement a new, fun dimension of healing to your recovery program, contact us.