A prayer without words: The story of the wanderer
Take a journey through the maze of interpretations of one of the most famous paintings in history.
A tale of silence, an icon of human solitude in the face of the forces of nature, or perhaps a memento of the great artist?
Is rap music destigmatizing mental health disorders?
A new study shows that the top rap songs in the U.S. are making increasingly frequent references to depression and suicidal thoughts.
- The most popular rap songs in the U.S. are more frequently making references to mental health problems, particularly suicide and depression.
- A research team analyzed lyrics from the top 25 most popular rap songs released in the years 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018, examining the lyrics of artists such as Eminem, Drake, Post Malone, Lil' Wayne, Juice WRLD, Kanye West, and Jay-Z.
- References to suicide rose from 0% to 12%, and references to depression from 16% to 32% over the last 20 years.
Lyrics and mental health
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3NTMwNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzY1MTAzOX0.LucgHFKGAeqMPYhdVTgEZBN1qlPW1C2DX77M4A17PlE/img.png?width=980" id="520ba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d770fd1d5acafd765747a28c344b3efa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="944" data-height="573" />Credit: Alex Kresovich et al. / JAMA Pediatr.
<p>The lyrics were analyzed for references to anxiety (e.g. "Do you experience nervousness or shakiness inside, faintness and dizziness?"); depression ("Went through deep depression when my mama passed…"), and suicide or suicidal ideation ("Only once the drugs are done / Do I feel like dying.").</p><p>Overall, the researchers found that about about one-third of the 125 songs referred to anxiety, 22 percent to depression, and 6 percent to suicide. Alarmingly, these percentages had more than doubled in 2018 as compared to 1998. </p><p>Zooming in closer, general mental health-related metaphors in the lyrics had increased from 8 percent to 44 percent over the two decades. References to suicide rose from 0 percent to 12 percent, and references to depression from 16 percent to 32 percent over the last 20 years. Anxiety-related references did not increase significantly. </p>America's youth is not okay
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e8c85c5d93f972abcb6a5aee50c5f14e"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BLKuqdAoGvg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>This isn't just a rapper thing, as <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Anxiety-Disorders.aspx" target="_blank">research trends</a> over the years are indicating that young Americans are not okay. The trend in emotionally darker rap lyrics mirrors what has been referred to as the "mental health crisis" in the United States.</p><p>Some data has found that psychological stress and suicide risk as rocketed from 2008 to 2017, and that's particularly true among 18 to 25 year-olds. The prevalence of "major depressive episodes" among US adolescents <a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/6/e20161878" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">also increased from 2005 to 2014</a>. According to X, anxiety affects around 30 percent of adolescents, with 80 percent never seeking treatment. The crisis reached a fever pitch in 2017 when the suicide rate among 15 to 24 year olds in the United States peaked at its highest level since 1960. From 2007 to 2017, suicide rates among people aged <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db352.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 to 24</a> rose by a grim 56 percent. Another <a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/144/5/e20191187" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">analysis</a> found that suicide attempts among Black youth <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/01/black-youth-suicide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rose by 73 percent</a> from 1991 to 2017, while declining for whites.</p><p>The finding that rap lyrics have increasing references to mental health problems is significant because of the genre's popularity amongst American youth, who now spend nearly <a href="https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2017/time-with-tunes-how-technology-is-driving-music-consumption/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">40 hours per week</a> listening to music. The authors note that rap artists influence "the development of these young people's identities." </p><p>The researchers noted that they could not determine "whether these lyrical references to mental health are due to rap artists' desires to self-disclose or to instigate discussions about mental health," according to the study. "Because rap is an autobiographical art form, the artists and younger adults may have observed and reflected national trends of distress experienced by themselves or people close to them." </p>Shifting social stigmas
<p>Over the past two decades, rappers have begun to embrace emotional vulnerability in ways they hadn't previously, for example Kanye West and J. Cole. In fact, researchers of the study suggested that the increase of references was linked to Kanye West's 2008 album "808s & Heartbreak," noting that artists such as Drake, Juice WRLD, and Post Malone (all of whom had songs examined in the study) have nodded to West's album as having had influence on their music styles. Even before male emotional introspection and mental health were part of the mainstream discourse, they were being embraced in rap. </p><p>More research will be necessary, the authors write, to understand "how this music can improve the mental health of its listeners or how it might lead to greater risk." In conclusion, the authors highlight that the study underscores a need to examine rap music and now, depending on the messaging, it may be able to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness by putting it in the spotlight. </p>How music therapy benefits the autistic brain
While the benefits of music therapy are well known, more in-depth research explores how music benefits children with autism.
- Music is used in many different therapies. Used in conjunction with traditional therapies, music therapy benefits us in a variety of different ways.
- According to a 2004 study, music intervention used with children and teens with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) can improve their social behaviors, increase focus and attention, and reduce their anxiety and improve body awareness.
- Various music therapy activities and tools can be used to help improve the quality of life of children with autism.
Music has quickly become a tool used in various therapies because it can stimulate both hemispheres of the brain.
Credit: HTU on Shutterstock
<p>Music has quickly become a tool used in various therapies because it can stimulate both hemispheres of our brain rather than just one. Theoretically, a therapist could use a song or instrument to support cognitive activity that helps children with autism build self-awareness and improve their relationships with others.</p><p><strong>Music encourages communicative and social behaviors.</strong></p><p>According to <a href="https://nursejournal.org/community/the-benefits-of-music-therapy-for-autistic-children/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20reasons%20that,and%20improve%20relationships%20with%20others" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nurse Journal</a>, "...if we look closely at the way that a band works, it is obvious that the instruments must all interact with one another, but the player only needs to interact with the instrument at first."</p><p>This can be particularly difficult for children dealing with autism, but by introducing an instrument to their therapy, they may first bond with the object itself and then open up to interacting with others through the use of their instrument. </p><p><strong>Music also encourages a better understanding of words and actions. </strong></p><p>For children with autism, listening to a song about brushing their teeth could help them learn how to do this activity. Autism can create barriers for children in social settings, but small groups of children listening to music together may help the child feel comfortable singing or expressing themselves in front of others. <a href="https://nursejournal.org/community/the-benefits-of-music-therapy-for-autistic-children/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20reasons%20that,and%20improve%20relationships%20with%20others" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to research</a>, dancing exercises in songs also help stimulate the sensory systems, allowing the children to enhance their fine motor skills. </p><p><strong>The positive impact of music goes beyond social interactions, helping children develop better motor skills and body awareness.</strong></p><p>According to a 2004 study published in the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15307805/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Journal of Music Therapy</a>, music intervention used with children and teens with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) can improve their social behaviors, increase focus and attention, increase communication attempts (vocalizations/verbalizations/gestures), reduce their anxiety, and improve body awareness. <a href="https://stm.sciencemag.org/content/10/466/eaav6056" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A more recent 2018 study</a> showed similar results. </p>How music therapy works
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzNzgxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTczMDE1MX0.LAR9CriMqe0ABrn_PO6sIC0NnwQIEgC2PMdGO9EKqbc/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C52%2C0%2C52&height=700" id="31f1c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="44f2d092d894f167590c075494c31c33" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="woman playing music with child" data-width="1245" data-height="700" />"All people, regardless of pathology, illness, disability, or trauma all have the ability to make music."
Credit: Photographee.eu on Shutterstock
<p>Music is used in many different therapies. Used in conjunction with traditional therapies, music therapy benefits us in a variety of different ways.</p><p><strong>According to <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/music-therapy-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Positive Psychology</a>, some of the major health benefits of music therapy include: </strong></p><ul><li>Reduces anxiety and physical symptoms of stress </li><li>Helps to manage Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease </li><li>Reduces depression and other symptoms (in the elderly population) </li><li>Reduces symptoms of psychological disorders </li><li>Improves self-expression and communication </li></ul><p><strong>The Nordoff-Robbins approach to music therapy. </strong></p><p>This approach to music therapy interventions was developed through the 1950s-1970s by Paul Nordoff (an American composer and pianist) and Clive Robins (a teacher of children with special needs). <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/music-therapy-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to Positive Psychology</a>, this is an approach designed to harness every person's potential for engagement through active, communicative, and expressive music-making. </p><p>This approach emphasizes the importance of music-making in developing skills, a sense of self, and a capacity for social interactions. Nordoff and Robins both believed that all people, regardless of pathology, illness, disability, or trauma all have the ability to make music. Due to Robins' history with teaching children, this specific approach is well known for its work with children and adults who have learning disabilities or difficulties. </p><p><strong>Relaxation music therapy.</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/music-as-a-health-and-relaxation-aid-3145191" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research</a> has proven music aids in muscle relaxation. This can enable you to easily release some of the tension in your body, and when you do this, your mind also relaxes. While this is particularly useful for adults, it can also be beneficial for children. Music can be used as stress relief when a child with autism begins to feel overwhelmed in a new situation. <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/music-therapy-activities-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Positive Psychology</a> also explains that music therapy for children can also aid in offering a rhythmic structure for relaxation and breathing. </p><p><strong>Music therapy for children.</strong></p><p>What does music therapy look like for young children? Music therapy will vary based on each individual child's needs and abilities. For some, it can mean learning to play a musical instrument and for others, it can be singing or learning new activities through songs. <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/music-therapy-activities-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Various music therapy activities and tools</a> can be used (discussed and decided upon by both parents and therapists) to help improve the quality of life of children with autism. </p>Get the many health benefits of playing the piano—by learning to play online
Regardless of your age, incorporate the piano into your life for better health.
- Playing the piano has been shown to relieve stress and stimulate brain functions.
- Piano lessons are a common form of therapy for those suffering from ADHD.
- Intellectual development is strong in children who play the piano.
The fastest drummer in the world is a cyborg
An accident left this musician with one arm. Now he is helping create future tech for others with disabilities.
- Meet the world's first bionic drummer. Rock musician Jason Barnes lost his arm in a terrible accident... and then he became the fastest drummer in the world.
- With the help of Gil Weinberg, a Georgia Tech professor and inventor of musical robots, the pair utilized electromyography and ultrasound technology to break musical records.
- Weinberg and Barnes hope to perfect the technology so that it can one day be used to help other people with disabilities realize that "they're not only not disabled, they're actually super-able."
