Music and Mental Illness Recovery – Seminar Notes

Traditional land acknowledgment

• Acknowledgement of the Wurundjeri people as traditional owners of the land and a respectful note to their elders past, present and emerging, honoring ongoing connection to the land.

Speaker and purpose of the seminar

• Guest speaker: Dr. Carmen Chernclinch, Lecturer in the Master of Music Therapy program with >20 years of experience.
• Focus: how music supports mental health and recovery, especially for children and young people in mental health and educational settings.
• PhD focus: how young people with mental illness engage with music daily to manage their emotions, highlighting music therapy’s role in mental health support.
• Emphasis on integrating cultural perspectives into research and practice.

Safety and well-being reminder

• Mental illness recovery is sensitive and potentially triggering.
• Encourage participants to draw on internal resources and containers to create a safer space for themselves and others.
• Self-care and mutual care emphasized throughout.

Key statistics and comparisons

• Hospitalisations (2022–2023): $215{,}000$ people; rate $rac{820}{100{,}000}=0.00820=0.82\%$.
• Diagnosed influenza notifications (early 2023, Jan–Mar): $35{,}472$.
• Mental disorders (2023–2024): $1/5=0.20=22\%$ of Australians aged $16-85$; about $4.3\text{ million}$.
• Comparison to fractures: hospitalisation rate for fractures is $0.82\%$, and influenza notifications in the first three months were $35{,}000-35{,}472$.
• Purpose of comparisons: normalize and reduce stigma around mental health difficulties; encourage help-seeking.

Recovery-oriented mental health framework

• Contemporary practice emphasizes self-determination, personal growth, meaningful social engagement, and empowerment.
• Goal: help people live a meaningful life despite mental health challenges, not solely reduce symptoms.
• Language shift toward person-first, nonjudgmental terms (e.g., “a person with lived experience of depression” rather than labeling by diagnosis).
• Health professionals work with individuals to explore what meaning, purpose, and well-being look like in their lives and how to participate in the community.

Language, identity, and recovery diversity

• Acknowledgement that recovery is individual; one size does not fit all.
• Historically, diagnostic labels were used in ways that stigmatized people (e.g., “schizophrenic,” “borderline”).
• Current practice aims to be respectful, person-centered, and stigma-reducing.
• Emphasis on living beyond a diagnosis while managing symptoms.

Research and evidence for music in mental health recovery

• Recent music therapy studies show efficacy in supporting mental health recovery.
• When a young person’s musical interests are supported, clinicians may refer to music therapists to augment recovery goals.
• Music can serve as a coping mechanism and means of emotional expression.
• Music engagement may not solve all problems; sometimes music only provides a brief reprieve (e.g., ~three extra minutes) before underlying feelings resurface.
• Clinicians use tools to assess healthy vs unhealthy uses of music with youth (humS scale: Healthy Uses and Unhealthy Uses of Music Scale).

The HumS (Healthy Uses and Unhealthy Uses of Music Scale)

• Purpose: help young people identify which music listening patterns are helpful or unhelpful.
• Questions addressed: Which songs or listening patterns help regulate mood? Which worsen distress? Are there songs that sometimes help and sometimes worsen depending on context?
• Concept of a double-edged sword: music can both help and hinder depending on timing, context, and individual state.
• Practical use: facilitate awareness of musical resources and guide safer engagement with music as an emotional tool.

Music as a means of emotional regulation

• Music can function as an emotional thermometer, reflecting current feelings and signaling shifts in mood or thoughts.
• If distress escalates, it may indicate the need to shift to “safer” songs or non-musical coping strategies.
• Safe songs and lifesaver playlists are curated to prevent triggering or spiraling back into negative affect.
• However, at times it is appropriate to confront emotions through music, sometimes requiring a shift in tempo, mood, or activity.

Musical resources and how they affect mood

• Sometimes a sequence of songs in a specific order can uplift mood or increase sense of control.
• Sometimes it is useful to listen to music that contrasts with current mood to create a transition (e.g., start bright, then increase energy).
• Discussions around personal playlists reveal varied strategies: upbeat songs, mood-matching songs, and momentum-building tracks.

Upbeat/feel-better playlist exercise

• Activity: Participants were invited to create a “feel better” or “feel good” playlist.
• Method: A QR code linked to Tune In Not Out (Tino) resources; playlists and fact sheets; a future “music and well-being” page across the lifespan.
• Participants could contribute anonymously (first name or screen name, confidential email).
• Discussion prompts included: order of songs, whether the playlist is random or intentional, and how the order affects mood.

Playlist structure insights from the session

• Possible starting song: brighter, mood-boosting to initiate positive shift.
• Alternatives: songs that match the current mood to acknowledge it, then gradually introduce energy-raising tracks.
• The difficulty of sequencing: some participants found ordering challenging; others found random playlists sometimes work.
• Real-life cues: individuals often know when a song is no longer helpful and will stop listening or switch tracks.
• In-car and transit contexts: immediate responses occur when songs are played or switched off; these spontaneous actions reflect self-awareness of mood.

Lifespan and digital resources

• Tune In Not Out (Tino) health portal includes music-related fact sheets, videos, stories, and playlists.
• The music and mental health page is expanding to music and well-being across the lifespan (young adults, adults, older adults).
• A chatbot is being developed to help navigate the Tino resources.
• The speaker has authored a book chapter about using the music-webpage to work with young people and discuss clinical applications.

Practical tasks and implementation tips

• Activity: generate a personalized feel-better playlist with input from peers or alone.
• Consider the role of song order, tempo, mood, and personal associations.
• Self-monitoring: notice when a playlist stops being helpful and switch strategies rather than persisting with a harmful pattern.
• Use of “Dopamine mix” or other pre-generated playlists as starting points, with customization.

Acknowledge cultural perspectives and cross-cultural relevance

• The speaker’s background from Queensland, Australia (Brisbane) and her experiences with a Chinese music orchestra illustrate how cultural resources enrich mental health support.
• Music therapy can integrate cultural practices and preferences to support emotional regulation and engagement.

Ethical and practical implications for practice

• Emphasis on respectful language and person-centered care.
• Recovery-oriented practice requires building a supportive ward culture, staff training, and ongoing commitment.
• Reducing restrictive practices (seclusion/restraint) aligns with broader ethical goals of safety, dignity, and recovery.
• SafeWards initiatives (UK, 2014) and linked regional implementations (e.g., Victoria) demonstrate policy-driven change.

Case study: Seclusion and restraint reduction in a youth inpatient unit

• Setting: small acute adolescent mental health inpatient unit in Brisbane.
• Intervention: Music therapist hired to lead a Seclusion Restraint Reduction Initiative; creation of a chill-out room and ward modifications (dim lights, rug, beanbags, sofa, pool table, courtyard basketball hoop).
• Education: regular in-service and ward education on de-escalation techniques.
• Outcomes: improved engagement and safety; fewer assaults and injuries; decline in seclusion/restraint events from 11.9% (2007–2008) to 5.2% (2012–2013).
• Long-term achievement: by 2020, the unit did away with the seclusion/restraint room.

References to related initiatives and future directions

• SafeWards (UK, 2014) described as a framework to reduce restrictive practices in inpatient units; linked to regional implementations (e.g., SafeWards Victoria).
• The music-and-health resources page and upcoming life-span expansion reflect ongoing efforts to generalize music-based recovery supports beyond youth.

Closing resources and ongoing learning

• A TED Talk referenced: "Returning from the dark side of music".
• Post-session: materials and quiz will be released within five minutes; attendees invited to review and complete the quiz.
• Encouragement to continue exploring the intersection of music, mental health, and recovery in both research and clinical practice.

Connections to foundational principles and real-world relevance

• Aligns with recovery-oriented care principles emphasizing autonomy, meaning, and social participation.
• Echoes foundational psychology and mental health concepts of self-determination and empowerment.
• Demonstrates real-world impact through inpatient unit culture change and systemic initiatives to reduce coercive practices.
• Highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity and global learning (e.g., SafeWards, cross-cultural music therapy practice).

Takeaway messages for exam preparation

• Music therapy can support mental health recovery through personalized, culturally informed strategies that emphasize meaning, purpose, and social connection.
• Recovery is individual; language and practices should be person-centered and stigma-reducing.
• Music serves as both a tool for regulation and a potential trigger; use HUMS to identify healthy vs unhealthy uses of music.
• Practical application includes creating intentional playlists, understanding mood trajectories, and knowing when to seek help or switch strategies.
• Broader impact includes reducing restrictive practices and promoting safer, more engaging inpatient care environments.