How Music Affects Mood And Mental Health

Music helps people relax, experience emotions, and cope with trauma and pain. It is used in the treatment of various mental illnesses, such as depression.

But in the scientific community, there is no unequivocal opinion about the special properties of music. So, scientists are sure that classical music does not help to become smarter, contrary to the myth that it is useful for pregnant women and babies to listen to Mozart and Chopin. At the same time, it can affect mood and mental health.

People have always been interested in music. Over time, only styles and ways of listening change. Most people now listen to their favorite tracks on platforms like Apple Music or Spotify, as well as short videos on TikTok. This social network has gone viral all over the world and now bloggers don’t even need to buy followers on TikTok to be successful. This format is interesting to the whole world.

Evoking positive emotions

First of all, let’s look at how people react to melodies. Scientists have found that even sad tracks bring pleasure, especially if they are associated with good memories.

Human emotions can be divided into three groups:

• sweet sadness — positive emotion;
• comforting sadness — positive emotion;
• heartbroken sadness — negative emotion.

Scientists studied the reactions of 2,400 people and noticed that they more often experience positive sadness than negative emotions. Many people avoid sad songs because they are afraid of negative emotions, although such tracks can bring relief.

But in the age of TikTok, it’s pretty hard to avoid any type of content because users scroll an endless feed where they can find anything. Moreover, if the authors at least sometimes buy TikTok followers and use other promotion methods, then their content will be visible to a huge number of users, regardless of their preferences.

Another study found that people are more likely to choose music that matches their mood, meaning that if a person is sad, they will prefer the same tune over a cheerful one. The researchers also noted that sad songs are more often chosen by people who have suffered a loss, for example, during a breakup.

Also, experts suggest that with the help of songs, you can specifically become happier. To do this, you need to listen to a positive tune and focus on how to feel better, for example, relax, and think about something good.

Relief from pain, stress, and depression

Songs also help to cope with stress. The American Association for Music Therapy believes that music helps with general physical rehabilitation and increases the motivation of people to undergo treatment. The association’s website says that music therapy can be useful for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly:

• with mental health problems;
• developmental disorders;
• Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that appear in old age;
• problems with psychoactive substances;
• brain injuries;
• acute and chronic pain.

Studies show that people who listened to songs before, during, and after surgery experienced less pain and anxiety compared to patients who did not listen to music.

But you need to understand that music therapy does not replace the main treatment. For example, in the case of depression, it will not replace the help of a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist, but in combination, it can enhance the effect of treatment.

Increasing motivation and improve sleep quality

The pleasure of music, and everyone has their own, is associated with areas of the brain that are responsible for emotions. There is evidence that it can influence the release of dopamine and oxytocin, which cause feelings of satisfaction and joy. Also, it can reduce the level of the stress hormone (cortisol).

There are separate small studies that show that songs can have a positive effect on the human condition:

• improve the quality of sleep;
• set the pace during training;
• help people with Parkinson’s disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and after a stroke cope with mood disorders and depression;
• help to relax and not overeat.

Music therapy does not have side effects, but it cannot be said unequivocally that it works the same for everyone.