WEDNESDAY, Feb. 7, 2024 (HealthDay Information) — Music might be good medication for older adults, bettering their bodily and psychological well being, a brand new survey finds.
Just about all folks ages 50 to 80 (98%) say they profit in a minimum of one health-related means from interacting with music, in line with outcomes from the newest Nationwide Survey on Wholesome Getting old from the College of Michigan.
Three-quarters mentioned music helps them relieve stress or calm down, 65% mentioned it helps their psychological well being and temper, and round 60% mentioned music offers them vitality or motivates them.
General, 9 in 10 survey contributors (89%) mentioned music could be very or considerably necessary to them.
“Music has the facility to offer pleasure and that means to life. It’s woven into the very cloth of all of humanity’s existence,” mentioned Dr. Joel Howell, a professor of inner medication on the College of Michigan Medical College who labored on the survey.
Music can profit quite a lot of illnesses associated to ageing, Howell added.
“We all know that music is related to optimistic results on measures starting from blood stress to melancholy,” Howell mentioned in a college information launch.
The vast majority of older adults surveyed mentioned they take heed to music: 85% take heed to it a number of instances per week and 80% watch musical performances a number of instances previously yr. Two in 5 (41%) attended a reside live performance.
Fewer really make music themselves. About eight% mentioned they’ve sung in a choir or organized group a number of instances previously yr, and one other eight% say they often play a musical instrument with different folks.
Moreover, the dearth of music in an individual’s life appears to make an actual distinction.
Individuals who reported their bodily well being as truthful or poor, or those that felt remoted, mentioned they have been much less more likely to take heed to music day by day, in line with the survey.
“Whereas music doesn’t steadily seem in older adults’ visits to their traditional care suppliers, maybe it ought to,” mentioned survey director Dr. Jeffrey Kullgren. “The facility of music to attach us, enhance temper and vitality, and even relieve ache [like 7% of respondents said it does for them]“It means it could possibly be a robust device.”
About 19% of survey contributors mentioned music is much more necessary to them now than of their youth, whereas 46% mentioned it’s as necessary now because it was then.
The Michigan survey concerned 2,657 adults ages 50 to 80 who have been surveyed on-line in July and August 2023.
“Music is a common language that has nice potential to enhance well-being,” mentioned Sarah Lenz Lock, senior vp of mind well being and coverage at AARP. “AARP’s personal analysis reveals that music can play an necessary function in wholesome ageing by bettering our temper, fostering social connections and probably enriching our mind well being.”
Extra info
Harvard Medical College has extra info on the advantages of music for the mind.
SOURCE: College of Michigan, press launch, February 7, 2024