Revue internationale de santé mentale et de psychiatrie

Music Therapy as a Treatment for Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Chanel Miller and Masaru Teramoto

This paper summarizes literature to explore the ways in which music therapy is able to act as a treatment for patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In many countries, PTSD is treated with many different modalities. One of the most common forms of treatment currently includes the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. However, these medications are associated with adverse side effects and can create addictive habits for patients. Consequently, it is important to consider complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a potential treatment for PTSD. With the use of music therapy, a form of CAM, each session and program can be tailored to the specific patient depending on how severe their cases of PTSD are. Music therapy could be used for such a variety of populations, including those living in countries with limited medical resources. Music can be made from various, readily available resources, such as stones, wood, and clapping motions. The act of drumming on nearby objects can promote emotional expression by certain patients. Limited evidence indicates that music therapy is potentially effective in improving PTSD symptoms. Through better language comprehension, music therapy allows the patient to express their emotions as it may relate to a past traumatic event.