Effects of music therapy and art therapy in cases of people affected by reactive-type depressive symptoms after the sixth wave of COVID-19.

Abstract

At the end of 2019, a deadly pandemic began to spread rapidly around the world. From that moment it became clear that the lack of
protection against invisible but lethal threats could endanger the very existence of humanity. The physiological affectation of the body by the coronavirus caused thousands of victims while affecting millions of people, but not only from the organic point of view. Given our impotence, another very worrying and dangerous pandemic was also spreading, the psychological effects caused by the disease; depression, anxiety, fear and a whole series of psychological problems and disorders marked a before and after in the life of the population. This caused a massive influx of people with various mental problems, forcing us professionally to propose effective programs against these effects. This is the case of a sample of 33 patients whose reactive-type depressive symptoms derived directly from the effects of the pandemic. Among them, 17 were included in an intervention program that included music therapy as the main component of the treatment. This program was joined by two cases treated with art therapy and another two with musical auditions tailored to each patient. The result was a rapid decrease in depressive symptomatology in all cases.