Explore Martina de Witte’s latest study on music therapy and mental health! As one of the lead researchers for the Lancet Global Series on the Arts & Health with the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, Martina's work continues to reveal how the arts can transform health outcomes. Congrats, Martina, on your journey thus far! We cannot wait to see what is to come ✨ 🔗 Read more about the Lancet series here: https://lnkd.in/dAT6bMfx
October 29, three years after receiving my doctorate from the University of Amsterdam, I still feel strongly connected to the topic of Music Interventions for Stress Reduction The University of Melbourne has provided me with a unique opportunity (McKenzie Fellowship) to further explore this field and looking beyond the magnitude of effects to investigate underlying mechanisms. Additionally, I have broadened my knowledge to other forms of Creative Arts Therapies by co-leading (with Joke Bradt) an umbrella review of meta-analyses on arts-based interventions for non-communicable diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, and mental health conditions as part of the Lancet Global Series on Arts & Health (expected in 2025, initiated/led by Jameel Arts & Health Lab and World Health Organization). However, today I want to highlight a lesser-known study from my doctorate: the development of a music therapy micro-intervention aimed at reducing stress and promoting relaxation. After all, it is so essential that academic knowledge about effectiveness and mechanisms can find its way (back) to practice. I am sure the micro-intervention is not something new to music therapists, but it does provide insight into how music can directly affect stress/bodily tension. The micro-intervention is based on numerous intervention descriptions that have been reported in over 50 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs). https://lnkd.in/gv8SQfK9 [See the supplementals for the full intervention descriptions] Universiteit van Amsterdam, University of Melbourne, UvA Maatschappij & Gedrag, Joke Bradt, World Health Organization, Jameel Arts & Health Lab, Stams Geert-Jan, Anne Knapen, Susan van Hooren, Felicity Baker