Students under the business management program of the University of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program,spearheaded by Viejla Anne F. Santiago and Arbie Angela A. Santos, will conduct an initiative for their National Service Training Program (NSTP) and Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) subject with the assistance of Prof. Anne Therese Fabian. Music Psychology Center will be conducting the conference.
This initiative will be held in May 2022, where people can learn how to properly use music as a modality of mental therapy, create a ‘safe space’ where everyone can freely express their feelings and emotions through music and group discussions, and provide support to struggling individuals with the aid of music.
Moreover, the event also aims to enlighten individuals about mental health and the factors underlying it such as a person’s psychological, emotional, and social state.
Project goals are the following:
- To understand oneself and others
- Individual: To share the significance of self-love to our mental health.
- Caring: To raise awareness about mental health issues and to let everyone know that they are not alone in their struggles.
- Engaged: To create a collaborative playlist where everyone can add their own choice of comforting and healing songs.
- Create a safe space where everyone can comfortably express their feelings and emotions.
- Share the benefits of music as a modality of mental health therapy
- Empower the students to use music as a healing modality by teaching its proper usages, such as routines, proper songs to listen to, and the limitations of music as a coping mechanism.
Many studies suggest that music therapy can reduce feelings of anxiety, including in people with cancer, those undergoing surgery, and individuals going into intensive care units. Some studies also suggest that music can reduce blood pressure and the heartbeat, which can have a direct impact on how stressed a person feels.
There is also evidence to suggest that those undergoing music therapy experience reduced anxiety immediately after the session, which indicates that music therapy could be a convenient way to reduce symptoms quickly. Music affects the amount of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, that the body releases, and reducing these hormones can help relieve symptoms of anxiety.