Depression, Anxiety and Stress Management

Martina de Witte, MA, MT-BC, NMT, is Lecturer and Researcher in Music Therapy and Coordinator of Research & Innovation at the Institution of Arts Therapies of HAN University of Applied Sciences in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. She is a Senior Certified Music Therapist at STEVIG (The Netherlands); a mental health institution for psychiatric treatment to people with mild intellectual disabilities. In partnership with the University of Amsterdam and the research group KenVak, she is running a PhD program. Her PhD program is focused on the effect of music (therapy) on arousal regulation in people with mild intellectual disabilities and stress related problems. The meta-analysis which is central in this presentation is one of the studies of this PhD program and offers a comprehensive overview of the effect of music interventions on stress regulation. Her work mainly focuses on bringing together the latest scientific evidence about the effects of music on stress regulation with everyday practice of music therapists and other professionals.