Music therapy is effective in treating depression in children and adolescents, according to a study. Doctors consider it as complementary therapy
As Jean-Jacques Goldman sang, “the music is good, sounds and guides our steps”. Good for everyone, and at all ages. It is also effective in depression in children and adolescents, according to an Irish study.
Musical improvisation workshops
Researchers at Queen’s University in Belfast (Northern Ireland) followed 252 children aged 8 to 16 with severe psychological disorders for 12 weeks. Drawn at random, half of them followed weekly individual half-hour musical improvisation workshops. Of these children, a third of them suffered from depression. The workshops offer these children the opportunity to express themselves in a non-verbal form, with several musical instruments. To do this, children ask the musician accompanying them to play pieces of their choice.
Improvements from the first 3 months
Following these activities, the psychologists looked at the psychological state of the children, taking into account their self-esteem and their family relationships. Improvements were noted from the first three months. “This is the first time that a study has provided robust results. In addition, the three-month follow-up, still ongoing, seems to show that these improvements are maintained over time. They are certainly associated with the choice of the program based on exchanges, communication and creativity, ”summarizes Professor Sam Porter, lead author of the study.
A complementary therapeutic approach
The reasons for the beneficial effects of music therapy remain unexplained. Scientists only know that music is a vector of brain plasticity that facilitates the development of new connections between neurons. But following the results of the study, the authors consider it as a complementary treatment that would ultimately reduce the doses of antidepressants prescribed to children and adolescents.
In France, depression is the main cause of illness and disability of young people aged 10 to 19, according to a report published Wednesday, May 14 by the World Health Organization (WHO).
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