title: Music as a therapy: role in psychiatry.
abstract: Music is popularly believed to usher in bliss and serenity, and healing is considered its natural quality. It has an emotionally charging charisma of its own, that we all as listeners might have experienced at times. Music has been there with mankind since the beginning of history, but where does it stand as a therapy? Is there any evidence base? How this therapy came into being and how it has evolved, and what the old and current research says about its role in psychiatric disorders. This review tries to explore these questions and arrives at a conclusion that music certainly promises more than just entertainment, and evidence so far suggests music therapy can be beneficial in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, as a cost effective noninvasive adjunct to standard therapy in a variety of settings and patient groups, yet more validated scientific research is still required to establish it as a sole quantified therapy.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Safdarjung Hospital and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College, New Delhi 110029, India. dr.madhusudansingh@gmail.com
authors: Madhusudan Singh
authors: MS
authors: Solanki
authors: Mehnaz
authors: M
authors: Zafar
authors: Rajesh
authors: R
authors: Rastogi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D009146:Music / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology