Music Interventions for Depression in Older Adults

This research paper discusses the effectiveness of music therapy in reducing depression among older adults in aged care homes. It explores the benefits of music therapy on emotional, social, and cognitive well-being, and how it can improve the quality of life of older adults. The paper also provides insights on the neurological changes due to music and the type of music that can alleviate depression among older adults.

Running head: MUSIC INTERVENTIONS FOR DEPRESSION IN ADULTS
MUSIC INTERVENTIONS FOR DEPRESSION IN ADULTS
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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Music interventions for older adults suffering from depression
Introduction
Late life depression can have serious consequences and hence is an important public
health problem. It is associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity in the older
adults, increased risk of suicides and decreased physical, cognitive, greater self-neglect and
decreased social functioning of the adults (Fiske, Wetherell & Gatz, 2009).
While pharmacotherapy and certain alternative treatments have been found to be effective in
treating the depression in the older patients, this paper on the other hand focuses on the
effectiveness of the music therapy in older adults living in aged care homes.
Discussion
Depression in the older adults differ from that of the depressions in the earlier years. The
etiology, presentation, risk and other protective factors are the aspects that attributes to the
depression in the older adults (Fiske, Wetherell & Gatz, 2009).
Half of the geriatric patients suffer from major depression due to the experiencing of a
new condition arising from old age. Depression in the older adults in aged cares suffer from
more depression and anxiety as compared to that of the one living with their own families. As
per Fiske et al., (2009) more than half of the residents of the aged care homes face from
depressive symptoms of depression , feel uninterested in activities, hopeless about the future,

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guilt about the past and may even desire death. It has been found that the incidence rate of
suicide is as high as 46 % in older adults living in the residential care unit. According to Choi et
al., (2008), people entering in the residential care unit have been found to be older than those
living with their families. They generally suffer from more complex care needs due to their
cognitive and physical difficulties. They can also face difficulties in adjusting with the changes
setting or to the loss if the independence and routine (Choi et al.2008). Furthermore the physical
deterioration, chronic illness and social isolation and loneliness makes this group of people
susceptible to developing depression.
In light of this alarming statistics specific interventions should be taken to mitigate the
problem of depression and anxiety among the elderly people. There is a requirement of proper
aged care support and peer group to address the problem. The paper reflects upon the
effectiveness of the music therapy in reducing the depression among the older adults.
Since the earlier period of civilization, music has been used to heal the soul and the body
and to express whatever that cannot be articulated by words. The history of the music therapy
can be dated back to 1940, where community musicians used to visit the traumatized and
institutionalized soldiers after World War II. According to Maratos ,(2008), positive physical as
well as emotional responses has been noted in patients subjected to music therapy.
In a study by Leubner and Hinterberger, (2017), 89 people within the age 18 to 50 with
depression and receiving the standard pharmacological treatment has been taken for the study.
One group received that same standardized psychotherapist treatment and the other group
received an additional 20 bi-weekly music therapy sessions lasting for 60 minutes. As per the
depression scores measured at the month end, participants who received the music therapy

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showed significant level of improvement in the depressive symptoms (Leubner & Hinterberger,
2017).
According to Leubner and Hinterberger, (2017), Music therapy is a preventive and a
recuperative therapy that helps in recovering the mood of the patient, improving their self-
esteem, strengthening their immune system and hence forth improving their quality of life.
Studies have found that their improved mood improved their family communication, reduced
their loneliness or alienation. When a study involving the application of the music therapy in
patients were conducted, it was interesting to note the enthusiasm with which the participants
participated in the intervention program (Leubner & Hinterberger, 2017).
As systematic review by Jespersen et al., (2015), have found that music improved sleep
quality among the older adults and also plays a role in the relaxation. Music has been found to be
giving a therapeutic approach in patients after a heart surgery.
Research on music and its effect on the brain function have provided insights on the
concept of neural plasticity (Hegde, 2017). It should be remembered that musical performance
involves a set of cognitive function such as processing, attention, memory, emotions. Music is
known to have benefits for the emotional, social and the cognitive wellbeing of the patient
(Hegde, 2017).
According to Chanda and Levitin, (2013), the neurological changes due to the music can be
perceived in four domains -
 Motivation and pleasure mediated by the opoids and the dopamine
 Stress and arousal which is mediated by the cortisol levels, ACTH adrenocorticotrophic
hormone and the corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH).

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 The adaptive immunity mediated by the serotonin level and the social affiliation mediated
by the oxytocin.
Cochrane reviews have supported the fact that the music interventions can be useful in
elderly people suffering from schizophrenia or similar disorders (Mossler et al., 2011). Listening
to music has been found to have beneficial effects in enhancing the mood and certain cognitive
functions. It has been found that that evidence based music therapy has been found to be
effective in improving the sensorimotor skills, language and cognitive function in a person even
from a non-musical domain Maratos, (2008). It has been found that music changes the
psychophysiological aspects such as relaxations, blood pressure, respiration, heart rate and pain
perception (Hole et al., 2015). According to Chan et al., (2012), a person in depression
experiences discomfort, anger and stress, due to which the heart rate and the blood flow will
change. The adrenaline release from the adrenal medulla would affect the heart rate. A study by
Chan et al., (2012), have examined the relationship between the musical rhythm and the
listener’s respiratory pattern. It has been found that music exerts its effect in the body by
entrainment of the rhythm of the body. When musical rhythm and the heart rhythm lock in t a
phase they vibrate in harmony
It has to be noted that the elderly individuals under an aged care suffer from loneliness
and social exclusion. As stated by Chan et al., (2012), music can be considered as a strong
elicitor of the emotions and helps to regulate the emotions. Music has been found to be
associated with the activation of the cortical network involved in the emotions, such as the
frontal lobe of the brain that is responsible for the processing of the emotions. Music engages the
mesolimbic area of the brain, the reward point of the brain responsible for real life emotional
experiences.

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Elliott et al., (2011) ,have discussed about the type of the music that can possibly
alleviate depression among the older adults. It has been uniquely found that slow progressive
melodies were mainly selected by the participants of a study conducted by the researcher. It was
found that in the relaxing piece the melodic progressions mainly progressed from low notes to
high notes and contained short intervals. In a word that sounds were all harmonious, peaceful,
serene, joyous and sad in some tracks (Elliott et al., 2011).
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that the older patients suffer from depression and other
neurological problems. It has been found that the music therapy is not only useful to reduce the
depression in the patients but also shows beneficial effects for the older adults in the functioning
in their everyday life. As per the evidences music therapy has been found to be associated with
the activation of certain part of the human brain that is responsible for the processing of the
emotions. Hence such an approach can be helpful for the aged care staffs in improving the
quality of life of the older adults in the care homes.

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References
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