Drum Therapy for Depression

A Finnish study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry finds that drumming alleviates depression. Twice a week, with the help of trained music therapists, the participants in a 2011 research study learned how to improvise music using a mallet instrument, a percussion instrument or an acoustic, West African djembe drum. Study results demonstrated that participants receiving active music therapy in addition to standard care had a significantly greater improvement in their symptoms than those receiving standard care alone after three months of treatment. Researchers believe the addition of music therapy allows people to better express their emotions and reflect on their inner feelings. It has been argued that music making engages people in ways that words may simply not be able to. Read more.