Music therapy to treat mental illness

By Amita Verma

Lucknow

July 5: The Geriatric Mental Health Department of the Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU) is starting a music therapy clinic to treat elderly patients suffering from mental disorders like dementia and other mental disorders.

According to Prof. S.C. Tiwari, head of the Geriatric Mental Health Department, music has been found to have a positive impact on patients suffering from mental tension.

"An aggravation of mental tension leads to disorders such as amnesia and then dementia. When an elderly patient starts to forget things, he or she is irritated and becomes prone to bouts of anger. Most of us blame this on age and do not treat it as a medical problem," he says.

According to the doctor, slow and melodious music has been found to soothe tension.

"Experiments have shown that if elderly patients are put in conducive conditions where soft and melodious music is played for about an hour, the blood pressure turns normal and the patient is able to view things in a more rational perspective. When thinking becomes clear, he is able to recall better and thus gradually combat the problem of amnesia and dementia," he explained.

According to the doctor, nearly five per cent of elderly people above the age of 60 suffer from dementia and this goes up to 8 per cent in people above the age of 65.

Fifteen per cent of those above the age of 70 suffer from such disorders and nearly 25 per cent get afflicted by the time they reach the age of 80 and above.

Music also counters loneliness that is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern homes.

"Their children go out to work and grandchildren are busy with their own lives. The elderly parents in the family becomes prey to loneliness, but if music is played at that time, their attention is diverted and there is less room for self-pity," the doctor says.

However, the choice of music for this therapy must be right. Rock, pop and fast music is a taboo since it is known to aggravate negative emotions and raise the blood pressure.

"The music must be melodious, soft and soothing. We usually ask the patient for his likes and dislikes and if he has a particular preference, we play that music," adds the doctor.