10 Feb Anxiety in Children: The Benefits of Musical Training
Did you know that learning a few scales on the piano or a chord progression on the guitar could potentially help reduce anxiety in children? It’s true.
Sure, we have heard the claims that listening to classical music can make your child smarter, but is there really any validity to that? As it turns out, the therapeutic nature of music isn’t limited to the joy created by listening, but also in the process of learning, practicing and creating music.
Musical training linked to lower anxiety in children
Researchers, from the University of Vermont, have shown that musical training can lead to lower anxiety in children and help with emotional control, as well. Simply put, the research has shown that music can thicken the cortex, which is the decision making part of the brain.
A thicker cortex allows for greater executive function and decision making, which can help children and teens formulate better decisions based on the data available to them.
The development of the cortex happens more rapidly when children learn to play an instrument because they learn to better focus their attention, control their emotions and decrease childhood anxiety.
The study examined brain scans of 236 children and noticed substantial differences. Along with a reduction in childhood anxiety, learning an instrument can also help make your child smarter and less likely to suffer from depression according to the study.
It isn’t just for children, though. The prefrontal cortex doesn’t fully develop until most adults are about 20-25 years old. This is why musical therapy can help middle and high school students, as well as children.
Music lessons aren’t as readily available
The only downside, however, to this phenomenon is that the availability of music lessons can be limited for children and teens. The US Department of Education has estimated that nearly three out of every four high school students don’t have access to extracurricular music lessons.
Despite the availability of school sponsored extracurricular music programs, the option of private lessons is likely available in your area. Even when the music fades, the positive mental development will have left a lasting impression.
An assessment center can help lower anxiety in children
If your son or daughter is struggling with their mental health and in the midst of a crisis, anxiety might be one of the root causes. ViewPoint Center provides both stabilization and diagnostic clarity, as well as treatment plans for adolescents between the ages of 13-17. Our milieu is designed specifically to treat adolescents with predominant psychiatric issues, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bereavement, eating disorders and more.
Find out more about ViewPoint’s mental health hospital on our website, or give us a call at 801-825-5222.
