What is the purpose of universities?
For centuries, universities have advanced humanity toward truth. Professor Jonathan Haidt speaks to why college campuses are suddenly heading in the opposite direction.
08 January, 2021
Credit: Institute for Humane Studies, and Adobe Stock
- In a lecture at UCCS, NYU professor Jonathan Haidt considers the 'telos' or purpose of universities: To discover truth.
- Universities that prioritize the emotional comfort of students over the pursuit of truth fail to deliver on that purpose, at a great societal cost.
- To make that point, Haidt quotes CNN contributor Van Jones: "I don't want you to be safe ideologically. I don't want you to be safe emotionally. I want you to be strong—that's different."
<p>Imagine someone had a knife and told you, "This is a great knife. The only problem is it can't cut anything."</p><p>You'd think, <em>Then it's not a great knife.</em></p><p>"<em>Telos</em> is the Greek word that Aristotle and others use to define the end or purpose of something," <strong>Jonathan Haidt</strong>, professor at New York University Stern School of Business and bestselling coauthor of <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0735224919?tag=amz-mkt-chr-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-s1060-mac00-other-smile-us000-pcomp-feature-scomp-wm-5&ref=aa_scomp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Coddling of the American Mind</em></a>, says in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi499A4VsN8&t=28s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recorded lecture</a> at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. The <em>telos</em> of a knife is to cut. What, Haidt asks, is the <em>telos</em> of a university?</p>
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<p><span>Truth—that's the purpose of higher education, Haidt says. The academy aims to be an arena where truth is sought, discovered, and explored. When the university is functioning at its best, students learn to present arguments and receive counter-arguments in pursuit of truth.</span></p><p>The question is then: Are today's universities achieving their purpose?</p><p>In his lecture, Haidt suggests that changes in campus culture over the past decade have rerouted university resources away from the pursuit of truth and towards creating an emotionally and intellectually comfortable environment for students.</p><p>"From out of nowhere, students in 2014 began asking for trigger warnings," Haidt says. A growing contingent among student bodies and administrators seemed to believe students were fragile and needed to be aggressively protected from "bad" ideas, offensive imagery, and provocative arguments. Students began reporting faculty, protesting speakers, and publicly shaming peers whose words made them uncomfortable.</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2NjQ3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTY4MzI2Nn0.6sKah5XVHLOLAcK5dFmyuxRk65-XBNNll3Ow9QEOTSc/img.jpg?width=980" id="73a87" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="29b948cc5bcb85976d5337221ae99640" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="2000" data-height="1125" />
CNN contributor Van Jones speaks onstage at the EMA IMPACT Summit in 2018.
Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Environmental Media Association
<p>There are many places and institutions whose purpose, or <em>telos</em>, is comfort. But a university is not one of those places. To make that point, Haidt quotes CNN contributor Van Jones:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">I don't want you to be safe ideologically. I don't want you to be safe emotionally. I want you to be strong—that's different. I'm not going to pave the jungle for you. Put on some boots and learn how to deal with adversity. I'm not going to take all the weights out of the gym. That's the whole point of the gym. <em>This</em> is the gym.</p><p>By prioritizing comfort over the pursuit of truth, universities are ignoring their purpose. Higher education should be an arena of open inquiry and free expression, where ideas are exchanged, tested, and scrutinized. A liberal education should be "an invitation to be concerned not with the employment of what is familiar but with understanding what is not yet understood," <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Jpu7BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT286&lpg=PT286&dq=%22an+invitation+to+be+concerned+not+with+the+employment+of+what+is+familiar+but+with+understanding+what+is+not+yet+understood.%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=bmqaS1BxSm&sig=ACfU3U0aOokPZOGJlLFUVO9-a8VBV50tCw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_u-jd1_btAhWqzVkKHSdKBMsQ6AEwAnoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=%22an%20invitation%20to%20be%20concerned%20not%20with%20the%20employment%20of%20what%20is%20familiar%20but%20with%20understanding%20what%20is%20not%20yet%20understood.%E2%80%9D&f=false" target="_blank">according</a> to philosopher Michael Oakeshott.</p><p>What are the social repercussions if universities fail to achieve their purpose? New generations could lose more than academic muscle; they could lose the ability and inclination to pursue and prioritize truth. They could become so dependent on emotional comfort that they refuse to contemplate "what is not yet understood" in good faith, instead catastrophizing everything that doesn't fit into comfortable frameworks.</p><p>This is already happening, Haidt points out in his lecture. "We isolate young people from the adult skills that they will one day have to master," he says. This manifests in <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/28/727509438/college-students-and-their-parents-face-a-campus-mental-health-epidemic" target="_blank">growing anxiety, depression, and other disorders</a> among college students.</p><p>With college enrollment on the decline, and the global economy under tremendous strain, universities need to realize their <em>telos</em>—or they'll risk losing their essential role in society.</p>
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Want Americans to graduate college? Make it affordable.
Research from MIT's School Effectiveness & Inequality Initiative found making college more affordable cut dropout rates and boosted degree attainment.
29 December, 2020
Credit: Adobe Stock
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<p>The <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/02/11/6-key-findings-about-going-to-college/" target="_blank">benefits bestowed by a college degree</a> are well-known. Degrees open access to job opportunities and, with them, economic stability. The average earning potential of a college graduate is roughly twice that of someone with only a high school diploma. Graduates are less likely to live in poverty, more likely to be married, and more likely to be satisfied with their life and career choices. And the number of jobs that require a degree or postsecondary school training <a href="https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/recovery-job-growth-and-education-requirements-through-2020/" target="_blank">continue to increase</a>.</p><p>Many Americans can recite this litany, yet when it comes to attaining college degrees, the United States is woefully behind its Western peers. According to <a href="https://www.ed.gov/college" target="_blank">the U.S. Department of Education</a>, America was the world leader in degree attainment by young adults a generation ago. Today, it ranks thirteenth. Nearly half of students who begin college don't finish within six years, with <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/eight-economic-facts-on-higher-education/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a quarter of low-income students</a> dropping out by their second year. </p><p>Meanwhile, tuition continues to rise. Even after adjusting for inflation, the costs of attending a four-year public school have doubled in only three decades. Such ballooning expenses have spearheaded <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/12/how-student-debt-became-a-1point6-trillion-crisis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a $1.6 trillion student debt crisis</a>.</p><p>For many young people looking toward a brighter future, college has become a gateway locked from the inside. As the Department of Education concluded: "Today, college remains the greatest driver of socioeconomic mobility in America, but if we don't do more to keep it within reach for middle-class families and those striving to get into the middle class, it could have the opposite effect."</p><p>Research has looked into the predicament and now suggests a daring, counterintuitive means of increasing degree completion among young people: We make college affordable.</p>
The study groups
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk1OTU2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzYyMjgyMH0.HoOUfA4eXLgFltk-M_Mu3E3qORUh2shzeYoVa3wk86E/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C237%2C0%2C237&height=700" id="861dd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cfef9e15abee21ae82c46b76199c4436" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1245" data-height="700" />An aerial view of MIT and Harvard Bridge. The university's School Effectiveness & Inequality Initiative partnered with the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation for the study.
Credit: Adobe Stock
<p>The study comes from <a href="https://seii.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT's School Effectiveness & Inequality Initiative</a>. Its researchers wanted to determine the effect scholarships had on degree attainment. As they put it, </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Financial aid is typically motivated by a desire to increase postsecondary attainment by making college more affordable. This raises the question of whether aid meets this test by boosting educational attainment. As with any sort of award or subsidy, it's worth considering the extent to which financial aid changes behavior. The fact that aid is motivated by the desire to increase schooling does not mean aid programs accomplish this."</p><p>To test this question, they partnered with <a href="https://buffettscholarships.org/" target="_blank">the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation</a>, an organization that offers scholarships to first-time freshman attending public colleges in Nebraska. The researchers designed a partially randomized study around the Foundation's 2012–2016 scholarship applicants, a cohort of roughly 16,500 students seeking aid. </p><p>Because low-scoring applicants were unlikely to complete college, they were not provided a scholarship and were removed from the study. Similarly, while high-scoring applicants were awarded a scholarship, they too were removed from the study as their degree completion was likely with or without the financial abetment. This left a middle pool of applicants, each sporting a comparable level of need and college-readiness.</p><p>The Foundation awarded scholarships randomly to this middle group of applicants; those who did not receive scholarships served as the controls. Because the number of applicants far exceeded the available aid, no student was artificially denied a scholarship for the study's sake. All told, the study included 3,699 scholarship-awarded participants and 4,491 controls. Most sought degrees at four-year colleges though some matriculated into two-year schools.</p><p>As this group was comparable in areas such as GPA, colleges attended, and expected family contributions, any statistically significant difference between the recipients and the controls would provide some evidence of a causal connection between financial aid and degree attainment.</p>Easing the six-year itch
<p>The researchers followed the students' college careers, from freshman year to spring 2019, and found that the scholarships did change behavior. Enrollment was only slightly higher for the aid recipients than the controls—98.7 percent compared to 96.1—but as the two groups' college careers continued, a noticeable difference emerged in dropout rates. By the end of their fourth year, only 71.6 percent of the control group remained, a dropout rate of 24.5 percent; meanwhile, the scholarship group only declined by 18 percent.</p><p>The scholarships also bolstered degree completion. Though bachelor degree completion was roughly even by the end of the fourth year, the aid recipients began to pull ahead after that. By the end of their sixth year, 71 percent of the award recipients received their degree, 8.4 percentage points more than the control. This suggests that as degree completion began to drag on longer, the infusion of extra financial resources made the final push more manageable.</p><p>The researchers not only found that aid promotes full-time enrollment, but that it benefitted historically underrepresented groups most, including non-white and first-generation applicants. These findings support a <a href="https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/100548" target="_blank">growing</a> <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED545465.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">body</a> of <a href="https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/12507/Shulenburger_University.pdf;sequence=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">research</a> that suggests college affordability directly impacts student decision-making and degree attainment.</p><p>The study, titled "<a href="https://seii.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SEII-Discussion-Paper-2020.06-Angrist-Autor-Pallais.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marginal Effects of Merit Aid for Low-Income Students</a>," is part of an ongoing research study. Additional reports will be released as the study continues.</p>What does college affordability mean?
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2f032882b6038c7d6734ac69f95fbb69"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qZTnmMxnU0A?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Scholarships are one way of making college more affordable, but they are part of a much larger conversation as to what affordability means.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/24/why-college-tuition-keeps-rising.html" target="_blank">ballooning cost of tuition</a> in recent decades is another concern. Factors for this surge include a massive increase in demand, cuts in state funding, new student services, and <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/executive-compensation-at-public-and-private-colleges/#id=table_public_2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bloated administrative compensation</a>. While colleges could certainly rein in some of their more extravagant expenses, and legislators agree to fund more, <a href="https://www.luminafoundation.org/files/publications/ideas_summit/College_Affordability-What_Is_It_and_How_Can_We_Measure_It.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the question of affordability</a> goes further still. </p><p>It concerns the quality of education, whether students are dependent or independent, their resources before matriculating, what they can expect from the investment after graduation, and how much of their future income they are willing (or able) to pay. The calculus must also consider <a href="https://bigthink.com/kenzie-academy/software-engineering-school" target="_self">available alternatives</a>, their costs, and their potential outcomes. It's a multifaceted balancing act between what's available, what students can afford, and what schools can offer with the resources they have available—which, of course, ties directly to the funds that schools have available. </p><p>In <a href="https://www.higheredtoday.org/2017/05/16/think-college-affordability/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an op-ed for Higher Education Today</a><em>, </em>Susan Baum, a senior fellow in the Education Policy Program at the Urban Institute, correctly points out that a "low-cost program designed purely to train people for an occupation that is unlikely to exist in 10 years, while appearing 'affordable,' is not affordable at all."</p><p>So then, how should we think about college affordability?</p><p>Baum recommends we start the conversation with need-based considerations at the forefront. "The financial resources available to a student at the time of enrollment are critical. Students have very different starting points for measuring outcomes and value depending on their circumstances," Baum writes. But it also requires us to think beyond funding; we need to consider the resources colleges need to provide a valuable education as well as the types of experiences that students want. </p><p>If we want more students to graduate, we need to discover the right balance between moderate spending, need-based aid, and program quality, a balance that will make college accessible to all who desire to attend.</p>
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Yes, more and more young adults are living with their parents – but is that necessarily bad?
Having grown kids still at home is not likely to do you, or them, any permanent harm.
16 November, 2020
Photo by Parker Gibbons on Unsplash
When the Pew Research Center recently reported that the proportion of 18-to-29-year-old Americans who live with their parents has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps you saw some of the breathless headlines hyping how it's higher than at any time since the Great Depression.
<p>From my perspective, the real story here is less alarming than you might think. And it's actually quite a bit more interesting than the sound bite summary. </p><p>For 30 years <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8bvGDaYAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">I've been studying</a> 18-to-29-year-olds, an age group I call “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Emerging_Adulthood/MUtRBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=emerging+adulthood+winding+through+20s&printsec=frontcover" target="_blank">emerging adults</a>" to describe their in-between status as no longer adolescents, but not fully adult. </p><p>Even 30 years ago, adulthood – typically marked by a stable job, a long-term partnership and financial independence – was coming later than it had in the past. </p><p>Yes, a lot of emerging adults are now living with their parents. But this is part of a larger, longer trend, with the percentage going up only modestly since COVID-19 hit. Furthermore, having grown kids still at home is not likely to do you, or them, any permanent harm. In fact, until very recently, it's been the way adults have typically lived throughout history. Even now, it's a common practice in most of the world.</p>
<h2>Staying home is not new or unusual</h2><p>Drawing on the federal government's monthly <a href="https://www.bls.gov/cps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Current Population Survey</a>, the Pew Report showed that 52% of 18-to-29-year-olds are currently living with their parents, up from 47% in February. The increase was mostly among the younger emerging adults – ages 18 to 24 – and was primarily due to their coming home from colleges that shut down or to their having lost their jobs.</p><p>Although 52% is the highest percentage in over a century, this number has, in fact, been rising steadily since hitting a low of 29% in 1960. <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Emerging_Adulthood_and_Higher_Education.html?id=3B9tDwAAQBAJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The main reason</a> for the rise is that more and more young people continued their education into their 20s as the economy shifted from manufacturing to information and technology. When they're enrolled in school, most don't make enough money to live independently.</p><p>Before 1900 in the United States, it was typical for young people to live at home until they married in their mid-20s, and there was nothing shameful about it. They usually started working by their early teens – <a href="http://www.jeffreyarnett.com/articles/ARNETT_Learning_to_stand_alone.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">it was rare then for kids to get even a high school education</a> – and their families relied upon the extra income. Virginity for young women was highly prized, <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/From_Front_Porch_to_Back_Seat/Jsd8LhrgkLoC?hl=en&gbpv=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">so it was moving out before marriage that was scandalous</a>, not staying home where they could be shielded from young men.</p>
<p>In most of the world today, it is <a href="https://wordpress.clarku.edu/ljensen/wp-content/blogs.dir/164/files/2013/11/2012-JSI-Jensen-Arnett-Going-Global-Final.pdf" target="_blank">still typical for emerging adults to stay home until at least their late 20s</a>. In countries where collectivism is more highly valued than individualism – in places as diverse as Italy, Japan and Mexico – parents mostly prefer to have their emerging adults stay home until marriage. In fact, even after marriage it remains a common cultural tradition for a young man to bring his wife into his parents' household rather than move out.</p><p><a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ndHLVuzcgqsC&oi=fnd&pg=PA33&dq=pension+system+history+%22developed+countries%22&ots=ymGgSZZzX5&sig=gVmgl_BBooZ3lm7f7riagGHeYGs#v=onepage&q=pension%20system%20history%20%22developed%20countries%22&f=false" target="_blank">Until the modern pension system arose about a century ago</a>, aging parents were highly vulnerable and needed their adult children and daughters-in-law to care for them in their later years. This tradition persists in many countries, including the two most populous countries in the world, India and China.</p><p><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Habits_of_the_Heart.html?id=5DQHmykT6u4C" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In today's individualistic U.S.</a>, we mostly expect our kids to hit the road by age 18 or 19 so they can learn to be independent and self-sufficient. If they don't, we may worry that there is something wrong with them.</p>
<h2>You'll miss them when they're gone</h2><p>Because I've been researching emerging adults for a long time, I've been doing a lot of television, radio and print interviews since the Pew report was released.</p><p>Always, the premise seems to be the same: Isn't this awful?</p><p>I would readily agree that it's awful to have your education derailed or to lose your job because of the pandemic. But it's not awful to live with your parents during emerging adulthood. Like most of the rest of family life, it's a mixed bag: It's a pain in some ways, and rewarding in others.</p><p><a href="http://www2.clarku.edu/clark-poll-emerging-adults/pdfs/clark-university-poll-emerging-adults-findings.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In a national survey of 18-to-29-year-olds</a> I directed before the pandemic, 76% of them agreed that they get along better with their parents now than they did in adolescence, but almost the same majority – 74% – agreed, "I would prefer to live independently of my parents, even if it means living on a tight budget."</p><p>Parents express similar ambivalence. <a href="http://www2.clarku.edu/clark-poll-emerging-adults/pdfs/clark-university-poll-parents-emerging-adults.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In a separate national survey I directed</a>, 61% of parents who had an 18-to-29-year-old living at home were "mostly positive" about that living arrangement, and about the same percentage agreed that living together resulted in greater emotional closeness and companionship with their emerging adults. On the other hand, 40% of the parents agreed that having their emerging adults at home meant worrying about them more, and about 25% said it resulted in more conflict and more disruption to their daily lives.</p>
<p>As much as most parents enjoy having their emerging adults around, they tend to be ready to move on to <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Getting_to_30.html?id=F65XSqY_qasC" target="_blank">the next stage of their lives</a> when their youngest kid reaches their 20s. They have plans they've been delaying for a long time – to travel, to take up new forms of recreation and perhaps to retire or change jobs.</p><p>Those who are married often view this new phase as a time to get to know their spouse again – or as a time <a href="https://ifstudies.org/blog/who-is-at-risk-for-a-gray-divorce-it-depends" target="_blank">to admit their marriage has run its course</a>. Those who are divorced or widowed can now have an overnight guest without worrying about scrutiny from their adult child at the breakfast table the next morning.</p><p>My wife, Lene, and I have direct experience to draw on with our 20-year-old twins, who came home in March after their colleges closed, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/26/how-coronavirus-changed-college-for-over-14-million-students.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an experience shared with millions of students nationwide</a>. I'll admit we were enjoying our time as a couple before they moved back in, but nevertheless it was a delight having them unexpectedly return, as they are full of love and add so much liveliness to the dinner table.</p><p>Now the fall semester has started and our daughter, Paris, is still home taking her courses via Zoom, whereas our son, Miles, has returned to college. We're savoring these months with Paris. She has a great sense of humor and makes an excellent Korean tofu rice bowl. And we all know it won't last.</p><p>That's something worth remembering for all of us during these strange times, especially for parents and emerging adults who find themselves sharing living quarters again. It won't last.</p><p>You could see this unexpected change as awful, as a royal pain and daily stress. Or you could see it as one more chance to get to know each other as adults, before the emerging adult sails once again over the horizon, this time never to return.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/146979/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation"></p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeffrey-arnett-1160487" target="_blank">Jeffrey Arnett</a>, Senior Research Scholar, Department of Psychology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/clark-university-2129" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clark University</a></em></p><p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-more-and-more-young-adults-are-living-with-their-parents-but-is-that-necessarily-bad-146979" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">original article</a>.</p>
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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.
20 October, 2020
Credit: insta_photos on Adobe Stock
- 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.
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzNzc5OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MzcxMzUzMn0.PxW4YQQ-S1GrdWhxUESGqCibLkxx7MFRIBxdP1pwis0/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C100%2C0%2C100&height=700" id="994e2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="823652340b1cb7a9b1a681be4a9da2ca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="little boy holding ukulele" data-width="1245" data-height="700" />
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>
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7 ways young people are making a difference in mental health
From AI to climate anxiety, youth are speaking up about mental health.
10 October, 2020
Photo by NONRESIDENT on Unsplash
The field of mental health has a lot to gain from young people as we think about the Great Reset, and how to build a better, kinder and fairer world.
<p> In keeping with the theme for <a href="https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/world-mental-health-day-2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Mental Health Day</a> on 10 October – 'Move for Mental Health – Time to Invest' –young people around the world are making investments to strengthen mental health systems and services, and to curb the stigma against mental illness. Here are seven of them.</p><p><strong>1. Lived experiences: </strong>Advocates and activists that have lived experience of mental illness or of caring for people living with mental illness are talking about their mental health journey and best practices. <a href="https://www.gmhpn.org/" target="_blank">Carers of people living with mental ill health are advising health systems on areas of improvement</a>. The perspectives of service end users are important as they guide treatment outcomes that are sustainable. Measuring health outcomes has been a challenge for the field of mental health; today's youth are vocal about their lived experience, and this is driving a dialogue around key ingredients for mental health and wellness.</p><p><strong>2. Workplace mental health: </strong>The open and sharing nature of young people has continued in work spaces. Young people are not afraid to share their lived experiences with mental illness with their colleagues, <a href="https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/young-people-most-vulnerable-to-poor-mental-health-at-work" target="_blank">while many are openly creating a space and changing the landscape of workplace mental health</a>. Youth today do not feel the need to keep up appearances and wish to have a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2020/07/23/millennials-want-a-healthy-work-life-balance-heres-what-bosses-can-do/#537dc17f7614" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">linear work–life balance</a>. As organizations grow, and hire more young employees, there are <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/supporting_young_people.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">several guides and policies</a> that can help companies sustain their employees' wellbeing.</p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>3. Climate anxiety and its effect on wellbeing:</strong> Climate change is causing a widespread panic; <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145305/green-space-is-good-for-mental-health#:~:text=It%20can%20encourage%20exercise%2C%20provide,respite%20for%20over%2Dstimulated%20minds." target="_blank">a majority of young people are concerned about the erratic weather patterns and feel helpless about it</a>. Young people are <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(20)30081-4/fulltext" target="_blank">dealing with eco-anxiety</a> caused by the disruptive environmental risks, but most healthcare providers around the world are not equipped to deal with mental health issues as a result of climate change. Around half of the world's population today i<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/median-age?tab=chart&time=1950..2100&country=~OWID_WRL" target="_blank">s aged 30 or under</a>, and although decades of advocating for climate change has mostly fallen on deaf years, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/21/magazine/teenage-activist-climate-change.html" target="_blank">young people have been at the forefront on climate action</a>. As a result, they <a href="https://medium.com/@thalesetd/the-role-of-young-people-in-the-fight-against-climate-change-aadf0d06b496" target="_blank">have found a seat at most tables</a> to discuss solutions and the direct effects that environmental issues will have on their generation.4. Implementation research: Young people are innovating functional mental health services built around integrated implementation and tailored to their culture and experiences. They are cognizant of the scientific field, government health systems and promoting mental healthcare solutions, and are defying traditional approaches to service delivery. World leaders need to give young people the opportunity to scale up and bring about mass change. As <a href="https://www.waves-for-change.org/" target="_blank">Waves for Change</a> co-founder Apish Tshetsha puts it: "Our youth are powerful. We know the solutions to the problems we face. We just need the training and support to face and overcome them."</p><p><strong>5. Showing leadership in mental health:</strong> Victor Ugo, senior campaign officer at United for Global Mental Health and founder of Africa's largest youth-led mental health organization, <a href="https://linktr.ee/MentallyAware" target="_blank">Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative</a>, led the successful advocacy for the ban of a pesticide in Nigeria that is one of the <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__medium.com_-40nigeriahealthwatch_nigerian-2Dyouth-2Dsuicides-2Da-2Dcall-2Dfor-2Dholistic-2Dreforms-2D18316b651c6d&d=DwMFaQ&c=VWART3hH1Kkv_uOe9JqhCg&r=1E35bRBUvnt-VrMhsHz114YAoc73ss8ng0O8dPuvq8c&m=IHfP0Rk2MQBwVjnfGvSqP7xxSg6EFhPXZXLBtDXtGAs&s=ylS4UVCsfwsSrERHBC-YmdiDOuX5Yx9Wmky4qb5ff2k&e=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">leading contributing factors to suicide in the country.</a> Young people have practical solutions to the current mental health crisis as, <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/how-to-change-the-global-mental-health-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">was echoed at the youth mental health panel in Davos</a> earlier this year. Elisha London, a <a href="https://www.weforum.org/communities/young-global-leaders" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Young Global Leader</a>, was campaign director for the Heads Together campaign, spearheaded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, while Prince Harry is now founder and CEO of <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__unitedgmh.org_about-2Dus&d=DwMFaQ&c=VWART3hH1Kkv_uOe9JqhCg&r=1E35bRBUvnt-VrMhsHz114YAoc73ss8ng0O8dPuvq8c&m=IHfP0Rk2MQBwVjnfGvSqP7xxSg6EFhPXZXLBtDXtGAs&s=boy_rW7PKzieDBsUFBahFR1FqwgxWIZLEZbJi4ATSz0&e=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United for Global Mental Health</a>. The goal of thee organizations is to promote the importance of mental health wellbeing and they are the driving forces behind campaigns such as The Speak Your Mind campaign, a nationally driven globally united campaign now in 19 countries, and #MoveforMentalHealth, a campaign supported by <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.who.int_campaigns_world-2Dmental-2Dhealth-2Dday_world-2Dmental-2Dhealth-2Dday-2D2020&d=DwMFaQ&c=VWART3hH1Kkv_uOe9JqhCg&r=1E35bRBUvnt-VrMhsHz114YAoc73ss8ng0O8dPuvq8c&m=IHfP0Rk2MQBwVjnfGvSqP7xxSg6EFhPXZXLBtDXtGAs&s=jXAYdqKpo6nkqaDqKUUSJX7wbS4hmwHCSchV1gRLqUs&e=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WHO</a>, The World Federation of Mental Health, Global Shapers and Young Global Leaders, for World Mental Health Day.</p>
<p><strong>6. AI and digital mental health:</strong> Young people are innovating mental health services and bridging mental health treatment gaps through the use of digital applications. <a href="https://oyh.org.au/" target="_blank">Orygen</a> and the World Economic Forum collaborated on a global youth consultation to design an advocacy toolkit for encouraging support for youth mental health. The toolkit consultations brought attention to the fact that young people do appreciate digital health services, especially during current times, but do not want to forego in-person support. Various AI platforms are being developed by young people to promote mental wellbeing, such as <a href="https://www.inuka.io/" target="_blank">Inuka</a>, a digital coaching solution that helps care for the wellbeing of an organization's employees</p><p><strong>7. Social media:</strong> Today, <a href="https://backlinko.com/social-media-users" target="_blank">nearly 4 billion people use social media</a> in their daily or working lives. Celebrities and influencers use social media to promote their brand and work, often at a psychological cost to their followers. Some research has found that <a href="https://www.managedhealthcareexecutive.com/view/impact-social-media-mental-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">63% of social media users face psychological distress</a>, including depression and anxiety issues. As social media has become a digital channel to learn and engage from others, young people are leveraging these platforms to call out the very tool that amplifies their voice. Millennials, who were the first users of social media, are now speaking out about the damaging effects social media can have on mental health. The very celebrities and influencers that were promoting their lifestyle are using their platforms to share their own experiences with mental health.</p><p>Young people have the potential to drive solutions that are sustainable and applicable for mental health investment. World leaders need to invest in mental health – and the key stakeholders to drive those investments are youth. By calling on a uniform dialogue for mental health illness, they can offer insights on the need for affordable, accessible services in primary health care.</p><p>Reprinted with permission of the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Economic Forum</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/7-ways-young-people-making-a-difference-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">original article</a>.</p>
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