Anger management through music Reducing Aggression in Adult Offenders

Vaughn Kaser MCAT, MT-BCNicole Cassingham MT-BC

ANGER MANAGEMENT THROUGH MUSIC

REDUCING AGGRESSION IN ADULT OFFENDERS

Atascadero State HospitalMaximum Security Forensic Psychiatric State Hospital

1275 Patients Beds Interdisciplinary Teams

Types of patients PC 1370 - Incompetent to Stand Trial PC 2962 - Mentally Disordered Offenders on Parole PC 1026 - Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity PC 2684 - Mentally Disordered Inmates

The Recovery Model Philosophy

THEELEMENTS

The Wellness and Recovery Foci

Focus 3 Dangerousness and Impulsivity

The Lesson Plan

Taylor, Dale B. (1997). Biomedical Foundations of Music As Therapy. Saint Louis: MMB Music, Inc.

Schneck, Daniel J. and Berger, Dorita S. (2006). The Music Effect. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

topics

Routine Interventions

Surdo DrumsFloor TomDjembesBass XylophoneTone ChimesRain StickOcean Drum Small Percussion

Instruments Used

Our Groups! ... An Evolution

AngerAGGRESSI

ON

In Control Of SelfCycle into Civility

My Own Prison

CREED

Inspired images

PowerForce

VS

Can this be true?

Does Catharsis Help Manage Anger?

Concerns: Could We Be…

Encouraging Physical Aggression?

Supporting Physical Acting Out?

Literature ReviewSteven Koelsch

Music in the Treatment of Affective Disorders: An Exploratory

Investigation of a New Method For Music-Therapeutic Research

Music Perception Vol 27, Issue 4

Koelsch states“Mounting evidence indicates that making music, dancing, and even simply listening to music activates a multitude of brain structures involved in cognitive, sensorimotor, and emotional processing”

“Music can strongly affect emotion and mood…emotional effects form an important basis for possible interventions using music in the treatment of disorders related to autonomic (below the level of consciousness, controls visceral functions) endocrine (hormones-adrenal gland-stress), and immune system dysfunction, because the activity of these systems is under the modulatory control of emotional processes.”

Study by Blood and Zatorre (2001)

Supported the assumption that music can evoke real emotions-because the activity of core structures of emotion processing was modulated by music

Key point: Modulation

Limbic areas Amygdala, Hippocampus, Hypothalamus

“music can have effects on the activity of virtually all limbic and paralimbic structures (that

is, of core structures of emotional processing)” Koelsch

“The hippocampus plays an important role for the generation of tender positive emotions (such as joy and happiness)…The activity changes in the hippocampal formation…are relevant for music therapy…individuals with reduced capability of producing tender positive emotions show reduced activity…it could be hypothesized the music therapy can help to (A) Reanimate activity in the hippocampus, (B) prevent death of hippocampal neurons” -Koelsch

Limbic areas Continued…

Other studies showed involvement of the amygdala in emotional responses to music

(p.308) - Koelsch

Amygdala. “Connects with the hippocampus, the septal nuclei, the prefrontal area and the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus. These connections make it possible for the amygdala to play a role on the mediation and control of

major affective activities like friendship, love and affection, on the expression of mood and mainly, on fear, rage and

aggression. Being the center for identification of danger is fundamental for self preservation. When triggered, it give rise to fear and anxiety which lead the animal into stage o

alertness, getting ready to flight or fight”

Limbic Areas and Aggression

Amaral, Rocha and Oliveira, Martins “Limbic System: The Center of

Emotions”The Healing Center

Choi, Ae-naSoo Lee, Myeong

and Lee, Jung-Sook

Research

Results:

“Intervention Reduces Aggression and Improves Self-Esteem in Children with Highly Aggressive Behavior: A Pilot Controlled Trial”

eCAM Advance Access 7/17/08 Music intervention group showed

significant reduction of aggression and improvement of self-esteem compared with control group. Activity included singing, playing percussion instruments and hand bells.

Decrease in frontal cortex function is associated with aggression and an increase in impulsive behaviours (Paus 2005)

Decreased communication between the limbic structures and the Prefrontal Cortex may also influence aggression

Remember Phineas Gage

Prefrontal cortex

Neurobiology of Aggression“Motivation and Emotion”

Textbook/Emotion

“The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are important parts of the brains limbic system associate with emotional response and arousal. These structures, along with the septum and

amygdala, may play a role in mediating aggression”

Pituitary gland is controlled by the hypothalamus. The Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). Interactions among these organs (HPA Axis) are a major part of the

neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress and regulate many body processes including digestion, the

immune system, mood and emotions, sexuality, and energy storage and expenditure -Wikipedia

Hypothalamus – Pituitary Gland

Schaffhausen, Joanna “Biological Basis of

Aggression”

Learned From Family

Developmental Stages

Behaviors

Seven C’s The Social Functions of Music

Koelsch, Stefan. “Toward a neural basis of music-evoked emotions”Cluster of Excellence “Languages of Emotion”Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany

Let’s Play

And….

QUESTIONS?

Thank You!!!

“YOUR BODY HAS LEFT TO RIGHT FROM RIGHT TO WRONG BUT YOU HAVEA HALO FOR YOUR MIND FOR RIGHTOUSNESS THROUGH MUSIC”- INDIVIDUAL