Oana Groza and Andrew Han
Music is a near-universal medium that has the ability to form individual identities, create social ties within a community, and even help individuals transition from one life stage to another (Hense & McFerran, 2017). Overall, music serves an array of functions that can support one’s psychological, social and cultural development, whether that be from variations of music therapy or casual listening in everyday contexts (e.g., exercising, completing work, daily routines). Notably, in music therapy, therapists use music as a tool to promote well-being through a variety of strategies, which include music listening and games, song discussion, vocal and instrument performance, songwriting, instrumental improvisation, and other unique approaches (Bruscia, 2014). These techniques encourage a patient’s relaxation, which—in turn—facilitates discussion about their own feelings and thoughts evoked by the music.
Of particular relevance is music listening and song discussion as many people dedicate a large portion of their time listening to music on a daily basis (Fitch, 2006, Ligia, 2019), yet there is limited research on the implications of music in nonclinical settings. Music plays an especially distinct role in the lives of young people, who spend two hours a day listening to music; in fact, music is the second most used mood regulation method—after exercise—among youth (Thayer, Newman, & McClain, 1994). For young people, music can be used in many contexts, including pleasure, reduction of stress, formation of bonds with peers, and identification with a cultural group (Lonsdale & North, 2011). Music is also associated with the expression of one’s cultural identity and serves as one of the most salient features of social and cultural groups, especially among minority communities (Boer & Fischer, 2012; Frith, 1996). Given the meaningful implications of music in contemporary society, further research is needed to examine the accessible everyday applications of music in young people’s lives, particularly in promoting positive mental health and well-being.
Dr. Karthik Gunnia studied cognitive science and developmental psychology at UCLA. During his undergraduate career, he felt driven towards application-based research. He then worked at a group home with adolescents, leading him to pursue a Psy.D. at George Washington University. He then taught as an adjunct faculty member at NYU, Columbia University, Pace University, and the New School for Social Research. He also started his own clinical practice, focusing primarily in child and adolescent mental health. In 2019, he joined the NYU Applied Psychology Department as a full-time professor, where he currently teaches both undergraduates and graduate students in the counseling program. Upon discovering that Dr. Gunnia is teaching a new undergraduate elective, Mind Playing Tricks on Me: Mental Health in Contemporary Music, the Editors-in-Chief (and self-proclaimed music reviewers) became interested in his perspective on the intersection of music and psychology. We thus spoke to Dr. Gunnia about his personal passion for music, his upcoming new course, and how music can serve as a tool to support and destigmatize mental health issues, particularly amongst young people.
What sparked your interest in music?
Music has always played a central role in my life. I played the saxophone growing up and jazz saxophone in high school, and I was part of the radio station at UCLA, where I had my own radio show. I also beatboxed in acapella groups in college and grad school. I’ve always been interested in music but it has always been more of a hobby for me.
What led you to create the new course Mental Health in Contemporary Music?
Among my favorite musical acts are hip-hop artists and rappers who discuss mental health in their music. In some of my classes, I’ll play some songs that help people get a stronger sense of the experiential aspects of mental health, because it’s difficult to fully understand the experience of complex mental illnesses like depression. You can read psychoeducation materials about depression, but hearing someone else discuss their own experience of mental health and emote about it in songs is different… Some artists wear their hearts on their sleeves, and you can hear the struggle in their songs, which allows the listener to bridge their own experiences with that of others.
Why is it important to examine how music relates to psychology?
One of my main passions—both clinically and as a professor—is destigmatizing mental health issues. Mental health, anxiety, depression, and more serious psychosocial health issues are much more common than most realize. However, I think as a society we do a really poor job of discussing and normalizing mental health issues, which acts as a barrier to accessing treatment. Not only are people suffering from mental health issues, but there is this added pressure of “I can’t ask for help” or “I don’t want to talk about it.” So I think it’s really important to educate students and the public, as a whole, about how prevalent mental health issues are and to get help when you need it; music is a really effective way to do that. Especially with young people, mental health issues often start during the teenage years and young adulthood. The research consistently shows that the earlier you get help for mental health difficulties the better the outcomes. So if we can get kids and young adults to feel comfortable sharing what they’re going through and asking for help when they need it, that’ll make a huge difference in society.
Can music serve as a tool for those with mental health illnesses?
Most definitely— I think some artists are excellent at expressing themselves in very specific and unique ways. So for someone suffering with mental illness, hearing a musician talk about something similar to what they’re going through will hopefully make them feel less alone and have some of that psychological burden relieved. [We] also have musicians outside of the songs talking about what they go through and their own struggles. In general, having public figures who are more willing to share are about [their] own journey… allows everyone to see that experiencing mental health issues is relatively common and nothing to be ashamed of.
How can one’s cultural background play a role in their connection to music?
From my understanding, hip-hop in black communities can be such a powerful tool, and rappers have a lot of power with the messages that they send—including how they depict substance use and mental health symptoms. For example, Kendrick Lamar is a much different rapper compared to more mainstream artists because he talks about mental health. Kendrick does not drink at all, and he has a song called ‘Swimming Pools,’ which talks about alcohol addiction. But it’s very different from other artists in the 2000s, in which the depiction of alcohol was mostly fun without consequences, rather than alcohol as an escape or coping mechanism. I think all of Kendrick’s albums are some of the best albums that have ever been made. He is an amazing role model in his discipline and the way that he writes music and connects his own personal experiences.
Lizzo is in that same underground hip hop scene and has been around for almost a decade, even though she just blew up last year. Her music is unique in the way that she combines pop with body image and positivity. Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next is also another pop album, but she sneaks in lyrics that’s authentic and communicates her past struggles in detail. I think this is important because people want to hear about the individuals behind the songs, and both of these artists have had a significant influence on female empowerment. People are much more transparent now and willing to share their own challenges related to mental health.
What are some of your personal favorite albums?
When I wanted to create this course, the two artists that came to mind were Julien Baker and Aesop Rock. Julien Baker is a singer-songwriter who talks a lot about depression. In her last album, Turn Out all the Lights, she has a song called “Claws in Her Back” that really delves into thoughts of suicide and explains depression in a way that academics and clinicians could never do. That whole album is an arc on her mental health and you can tell she writes songs because music plays a role in supporting her mental health. Aesop Rock has also been rapping about mental health issues for a while now, and he uses his music as an outlet for expression. In his last album, he has a song about going to a psychiatrist and what that experience is like. For a lot of artists, their music is their therapy; they write it out on the page and that’s how they both cope with their hardships. In recent months I have also been listening to a lot of Run the Jewels, Doomtree, Isaiah Rashad, and Fiona Apple.
What do you hope students will learn in your new course?
Music is a great way to reach young people. If you have a musician who is openly sharing thoughts of anxiety and depression and putting it out there, then it makes a difference as more young people are willing to talk about what they’re going through. With more open conversations, we normalize mental health [and] take away some of the shame associated with it— which I think would be really valuable. I’m hoping that this class will help the students destigmatize it for themselves and they, in turn, can share that with other people.
Analysis and Conclusion
The interview with Dr. Gunia highlighted several key takeaways regarding the power of music, a near-universal language that can be used to support youth and diverse populations today. First and foremost, musical artists often write about their own mental health issues, such as depression, suicidal ideations, post-traumatic stress, and psychosis, establishing a connection with listeners who might also be experiencing the same hardships. In doing so, music allows individuals to identify with an artist’s vulnerability showcased in a song, making listeners feel less alone and reducing the stigma attached to mental illness and access to treatment. Considering that the transition to adulthood is a particularly difficult period, young people are at an increased risk to face mental health issues (Arnett, 1995). Music and lyrical content often reflect the challenges facing youth today, including identity formation, decreasing dependence on caregiver support, peer and romantic relationships, and perceptions of self (e.g., self esteem; Arnett, 1995; North, Hargreaves, & O’Neill, 2000), thus providing young people with ability to validate their internalized emotions, such as sadness, grief, anger, and anxiety, especially during times of crisis (Papinczak et al., 2015). In addition to the shared connections established between artists and listeners, music acts as an alternative therapy by encouraging positive emotion by providing a temporary escape from the discomforts and challenges of life (Sloboda, 2005; Tarrant, North, & Hargreaves, 2000).
Music also has the ability to become the voice of cultural groups (Forman, 2012). In fact, hip hop, which arose in the Bronx during the 1970s, quickly became the musical language of African American and Puerto Rican populations (Chang, 2005). Hip hop culture, which spans from rap music to breakdancing and graffiti art, plays a particular role in addressing the often-neglected experiences of disenfranchised groups (Winfrey, 2009). As mentioned in the interview, hip-hop proves to be a particularly powerful tool in empowering black youth in the United States. In addition to influencing cultural expression,including fashion and communication (Abdul-Adil, 2014), music is a promising and accessible form of psychotherapy, addressing the unique experiences and hardships of black people (Decarlo & Hockman, 2004; Travis & Deepak, 2011). Despite the widespread applicability of music in the daily lives of young people, research on how music, particularly hip hop, can improve mental health outcomes has been sorely lacking. In order to better understand how contemporary music can help support mental health and facilitate awareness, Dr. Gunnia’s perspective highlights how future efforts need to address health outcomes with music, or hip hop, interventions.
In particular, minorities bear the burden of mental health issues, demonstrating the need for culturally competent interventions that address mental health (American Psychiatric Association, 2017; Ng, Zhang, Scholle, & Guerino, 2017). Research has confirmed that culturally competent interventions intended for a target population are more effective in comparison to standard treatments (Chowdhary et al., 2014). One way has been through the integration of hip hop and rap into new and existing evidence-based treatments. For example, Tyson’s (2002) study had group therapy sessions where participants listened to songs about unity and self-identity and subsequently discussed their thoughts, feelings, and reactions to it. Results from the study indicated that participants who listened to hip hop music had improved peer relations compared to the standard group (Tyson, 2002). Expanding upon Dr. Gunnia’s insights, hip hop and rap resonate strongly with listeners and can be used as a persuasive communication tool for expression of one’s thoughts and feelings, and can also dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health by fostering awareness and meaningful conversations on the topic.
Starting in the Summer of 2020, Dr. Karthik Gunnia will be teaching a new Applied Psychology elective entitled Mind Playing Tricks on Me: Mental Health in Contemporary Musicat the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. In our interview, he informed us that the course is designed to help students destigmatize and reflect the experiences of mental health in a unique way. Each week will focus on a different mental health topic and symptoms that many people experience (e.g., suicidal ideation, psychosis, panic attacks). Throughout weekly topics, students will analyze songs that address these themes and discuss their own thoughts and reactions in relation to literature on symptoms of mental illness. He hopes to bring in guest lecturers from the music industry and psychology field to talk about their take on the intersection of music and mental health. If only we weren’t graduating, because we would love to take this course!
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