Music for Mental Disorders Mental disorders, although incurable, have several possible treatments; one of which is music therapy. Music therapy’s origin is difficult to pinpoint, but it can be traced to “ancient cross-cultural beliefs” (“Music as Therapy in Early story”), where many superstitious people said it had magical healing powers. Research and formal use of this therapy, however, did not begin until World War II, when musicians played for soldiers recovering the trauma of the war. After doctors saw mental and emotional improvement in patients, they began to develop research and training programs, gradually spreading the use of music therapy. Music therapy’s mental and emotional effects benefit people with various mental disorders To determine this, five studies on depression tested three methods of music therapy: active, receptive, and mixed. Active music therapy is where the participant creates music, unlike receptive, where the participant listens to music. Finally, as its name suggests, mixed music therapy is a combination of active and receptive methods. In each study, the participants received active therapy, receptive therapy, or varied amounts of both. After the studies, participants in four out of the five studies showed improvement. The study that did not show improvement only used active therapy. This study conducted in the early 2000s concluded, “Music therapy for people with depression is feasible” (“Music Therapy for Depression”), but should be more carefully studied. A later investigation reported by Jaakko Erkkilä, a music therapy professor at a research-centered university called the University of Jyväskylä (“University of Jyväskylä: About”), tested the effectiveness of music therapy. The study involved two groups of participants, all diagnosed with depression. One group received regular therapy sessions while the other group received music therapy sessions in addition to the same standard care. In the end, the group receiving music therapy improved slightly more than the other group. The investigation proved music A few factors contribute to its amount of effectiveness. One important factor is the relationship between the therapist and client (and often the client’s family). They need to be willing to cooperate when determining goals and should also work together to choose meaningful music. Choosing the right music is crucial, as research shows clients who listen to their preferred music demonstrate the most improvement. This is because music evokes certain emotions and memories and the client (or client’s family) will know what will have the greatest impact. A good relationship with the therapist will contribute to maximum results in therapy sessions. Music therapy can reduce symptoms of various mental disorders. It works best if used in conjunction with other treatments, but it is by no means a cure. As with any other treatment, music therapy has some disadvantages. As mentioned earlier, listening to the “wrong” genre of music could have the opposite effect. Also, listening to music at high volumes will eventually result in or worsen hearing loss. These disadvantages can be controlled, making music therapy a good treatment