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Music as a Non-Pharmacological Therapy used in Disaster Mental Health and Psychosocial Support: An Idea for Disaster Medicine in Indonesia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2023

Dominikus David Biondi Situmorang Open the ORCID record for Dominikus David Biondi Situmorang [Opens in a new window]
Dominikus David Biondi Situmorang*
Affiliation:
Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education and Language, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
*
Correspondence: Dominikus David Biondi Situmorang Department of Guidance and Counseling Faculty of Education and Language Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia Jl. Jenderal Sudirman 51, DKI Jakarta 12930, Indonesia. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Keywords

disastermental healthmusicPTSD
Type
Article Commentary
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , April 2023 , pp. 276 - 277
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

Dear Editor,

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, located on the equator. Reference Syafei, Irawandani, Boedisantoso, Assomadi, Slamet and Hermana1,Reference Situmorang2 As one of the countries in this range, Indonesia is very vulnerable to natural disasters, Reference Kusumastuti, Husodo, Suardi and Danarsari3,Reference Silbert and Useche4 one of which is an earthquake. Reference Satake, Nishimura and Putra5–Reference Pribadi and Rildova8 In the last few months, Indonesia has experienced earthquakes in several locations, which resulted in severe enough damage that many people needed help. Reference Bhwana9,Reference Arkyasa and Muthiariny10 In addition to food assistance, medical medicines, and emergency shelter required by disaster victims, psychological assistance through mental health and psychosocial maintenance activities from volunteers is also urgently needed. Many of the victims of natural disasters experience posttraumatic syndrome disorder (PTSD), Reference North, Kawasaki, Spitznagel and Hong11,Reference McFarlane and Papay12 especially in children. Reference Le Roux and Cobham13 So, in this case, it is necessary to be careful in choosing a concrete intervention to help them.

Based on existing research results, music is proven to have a reasonably positive effect on disaster victims. Reference Vavasour14,Reference Ha15 Music can increase happiness, maintain mental health, and improve psychological well-being in disaster situations. Reference Situmorang16 Furthermore, it is said that music is a medium that is free from cultural bias, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, race, and any political interests. Reference Birkenshaw-Fleming17 So, this is applied in the context of disaster in Indonesia. In that case, this is very appropriate because, in this country, diversity in many ways can trigger sensitivity within the community itself.

Furthermore, a theory explains that music can produce the dopamine hormone, which can make you feel happier and improve your psychological well-being, Reference Gebauer, Kringelbach and Vuust18 where these positive feelings can indirectly increase good immunity. Reference Núñez, Mañá and Liñares19 Apart from that, music has been widely applied to people who experience PTSD, Reference Landis-Shack, Heinz and Bonn-Miller20 especially to victims of natural disasters. Reference Hugelius21

The explanation above proves that music can be a non-pharmacological therapy used in disaster mental health and psychosocial support. So, it is hoped that volunteers and mental health professionals can consider using this music to maintain mental health and improve the welfare of victims of natural disasters. Furthermore, through this article, future researchers can be interested in implementing this type of intervention to investigate its effectiveness and efficacy in the cultural context of Indonesia. In addition, it is also hoped that future researchers can try one of the new theories that have been combined with music, namely “rapid psychotherapy” with single-session music therapy. Reference Situmorang22 They can follow simple guidelines that already exist to prove that in the context of disaster, this treatment can be used as an alternative disaster medicine idea that is very suitable for the culture in Indonesia.

Conflicts of interest/funding

The author declares no conflict of interest in this paper. The author declared no funding was received for this paper.

Implications

The findings in this article have significant consequences for volunteers and mental health professionals to consistently apply them in disaster emergency response situations. By leveraging this idea, policymakers can include it in disaster emergency response guidelines, making it easier to implement.

Future Research Directions

This idea can serve as a guide for more sophisticated future research. Therefore, it is essential to carry out further research to determine the most effective procedure for solving this problem.

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to express his gratitude to the Creative Counseling Center, Indonesia for supporting this paper.

References

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