Researchers in London have found evidence of a surprisingly effective treatment for anxiety and depression, one that even alters the inflammatory immune responses that may underlie these disorders.
Prozac? Actually, percussion.
An "exploratory examination" found 10 weeks of group drumming provided significant benefits for a group of people who had sought help for mental-health issues. What's more, the improvements persisted for at least three months after the sessions concluded.
"This study demonstrates the psychological benefits of group drumming, and also suggests underlying biological effects, supporting its therapeutic potential for mental health," writes a research team led by Aaron Williamon and Daisy Fancourt of the Royal College of Music's Centre for Performance Science.
The study, published in the online journal PLoS One, featured 45 Londoners, 30 of whom participated in the drumming lessons and 15 who served as a control group. All were "adults accessing mental health services" from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or support group; they volunteered to participate.
[For more of this story, written by To]m Jacobs, go to http://www.psmag.com/health-an...-was-right-all-along
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