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New research suggests the positive impact on mental health from singing, playing, or listening to music is around the same impact experienced with exercise or weight loss.
Part 1. Vocabulary
preventative /prəˈven(t)ədiv/ adj.
designed to keep something
undesirable such as illness, harm, or accidents from occurring, preventive.
ex. Preventative measures are required
for all schools that will have face-to-face classes.
interventions /ˌin(t)ərˈven(t)SH(ə)n/ n.
(plural form)
the
action or process of intervening, extending, or occurring between events
ex. We
need teachers’ interventions in all online classes.
albeit /ôlˈbēit,alˈbēit/ conj.
although, however;
ex. He
was making progress in his studies, albeit rather slowly.
substantial /səbˈstan(t)SHəl/ adj.
of
considerable importance, size, or worth
ex. There
is a substantial amount of cash that
will be given to the best employee.
prescribe /prəˈskrīb/ v.
recommend
(a substance or action) as something beneficial
ex. The team leader will prescribe a team color for easy identification of the members.
Part 2. Comprehension Questions
What is the impact of listening
to music according to the given study?
What does HRQOL stand for?
Why is there a link between music
and well-being?
Do you consider music therapy
helpful? Why?
What must health professionals do
to help patients from illness or maintain mental health?
Part 3. Article Reading
The next time you're not able to get out to the gym, maybe spin some records instead: new research suggests the positive impact on mental health from singing, playing, or listening to music is around the same impact experienced with exercise or weight loss.
That's based on a meta-analysis
covering 26 previous studies and a total of 779 people. The earlier research
covered everything from using gospel music as a preventative measure
against heart disease to how joining a choir can help people recovering from
cancer.
A growing number of studies are
finding links between music and wellbeing. However, the level of the potential
boost and exactly why it works are areas that scientists are still looking into
– and that's where this particular piece of research can be helpful.
"Increasing evidence supports the ability of music to broadly promote
wellbeing and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)," write the
researchers in their published paper. "However, the magnitude of music's
positive association with HRQOL is still unclear, particularly relative to
established interventions, limiting the inclusion of music interventions in
health policy and care."
The results of the studies were
then compared against other research looking at the benefits of
"non-pharmaceutical and medical interventions (e.g., exercise, weight
loss)" on well-being and against research where medical treatments for
health issues didn't include music therapy components.
According to the study authors,
the mental health boost from music is "within the range, albeit on
the low end" of the same sort of impact seen in people who commit to
physical exercise or weight loss programs. "This meta-analysis of 26
studies of music interventions provided clear and quantitative moderate-quality
evidence that music interventions are associated with clinically significant
changes in mental HRQOL," writes the researchers. "Additionally, a
subset of 8 studies demonstrated that adding music interventions to usual
treatment was associated with clinically significant changes to mental HRQOL in
a range of conditions."
At the same time, the researchers
point out that there was substantial
variation between individuals in the studies regarding how well the various
musical interventions worked – even if the overall picture was a positive one.
This isn't necessarily something that's going to work for everyone.
The researchers hope that studies
such as this one will encourage health professionals to prescribe some
kind of music therapy more often when it comes to helping patients recover from
illness or maintain good mental health. For many of us, listening to music or
singing are pleasurable activities and perhaps wouldn't feel as challenging as
getting out for exercise or sticking to a diet – further reasons why they could
be helpful as forms of therapy.
"Future research is needed
to clarify optimal music interventions and doses for use in specific clinical
and public health scenarios," write the researchers. The research has been
published in JAMA Network Open.
Source:
David Nield, 27 March 2022www.sciencealert.com