Thousands of years ago King Saul had a problem with depression. It even got in the way of his ability to function as king. His physician advisors recommended, “Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on a harp: and it shall come to pass, when the even spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shall be well” (1 Samuel 16:15).

The historical record goes on to say, “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from god was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hands: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Samuel 16:23).

Not all music will improve mood. Each person tends to have musical preferences, but will listening to these musical favourites will not always improve mood after the music stops.

Music psychotherapy, in which people are encouraged to associate mental images with classical music, can improve mood and reduce stress. After six sessions of guided imagery and music (GIM) therapy held over a 12-week period, 14 healthy adult volunteers, ages 23 to 45, showed improved scores on tests of overall mood, and reported feeling less fatigue and depression.ⁱ The improvement was more than just subjective. The patients’ blood levels of the steroid hormone cortisol, which elevates during stress, also fell significantly.

In the GIM therapy session, volunteers listened to specific, selected sequences of classical music, including portions from the music of Respighi, Ravel, Bach, and Brahms. To encourage introspection while listening, they were asked to identify one to three areas of concern in their lives. They shared and discussed with a therapist the spontaneous images that came to mind during the music selections.

Thirteen weeks into the study, test scores on mood disturbance, fatigue and depression were significantly decreased, compared with pre-GIM therapy test scores. The changes persisted at a follow-up six weeks later. However, no significant changes in test scores or cortisol levels were found among 14 volunteers (control subjects) who did not undergo classical GIM therapy.

This study did not allow people to choose their own musical preference. Most people in the 23 to 45-year-old age group have never been seriously exposed to enough classical music to choose it as a preference. Yet, traditional classical music is the only style of music that has been demonstrated to improve mental health both subjectively and objectively to date.ⁱⁱ

I recommend that individuals listen intently to classical music no less the one hour every two weeks. This can take place in a live concert or in church (if traditional classical hymns and other classical music numbers are performed), on your living room stereo system, or in your automobile. The only requirement is that the individuals think of areas of concern in their life and keep their imagination active during performance.