Will your doctor soon prescribe a Verdi opera or a Mozart minuet? We knew that music allowed us to relax, but we didn’t yet have a scientific explanation for this phenomenon. A team of researchers from McGill University in Quebec therefore conducted research on the benefits of music on reducing stress by analyzing more than 400 documents and studies.
The researchers found that the cortisolthe hormone responsible for stress, decreased when listening to relaxing music. Thus, patients who listened to music before surgery would be less anxious than people who took anxiolytics such as Valium. In addition, music increases motivation and pleasure, decreases stress and excitement, enhances immune system and consolidates social belonging and self-confidence.
The type of music is obviously important and listening to Metallica will inevitably have a less relaxing effect than a lullaby for babies… But, for example, one of the studies analyzed shows that singing in a group can release oxytocin , a hormone that promotes feelings of social connection.
Although the elements put forward by the two researchers do not constitute irrefutable scientific proof, they are interesting avenues to explore in order to treat certain diseases such asanorexia or depression.