Tapping Into Temperament and Pain With Music Psychotherapy

A myriad of medical conditions are accompanied by depression. Somatic pain is frequent in major depression and is found in 50% to 90% of depressed patients. Assessing pain accurately and, most particularly, knowing the trauma history and acknowledging its impact on functionality, may provide key information on how to most effectively treat pain associated with depression. The criteria for major depression is inclusive of symptoms that can be directly impacted by music psychotherapy: pain, fatigue, agitation, feelings of worthlessness, impeded thinking/concentration. This presentation will address common diseases such as heart disease, cancer, neurologic dysfunction, and multiple sclerosis, in which depression is a frequent secondary/contingent diagnosis. We will provide research substantiated clinical interventions that support ways in which music psychotherapy can work on a neuro/physiological level to increase endorphins, oxytocin, immunoglobins, and T cells, while reducing cortisol and stress hormones, enhancing quality of life as a central part of the treatment trajectory. We will also explore the significance of the interactive pain-anxiety-depression connection in clinical applications for this fragile population. (Recorded at PAINWeek 2018)