Hip-hop is not only a genre of music but is also a therapy tool for mental well-being, psychiatrists reveal.
Hip-hop, the commercial and cultural powerhouse that sprung in the 1970s in the Bronx boroughs of New York, is being explored as a possible form of therapy. Researchers from the United Kingdom believe that hip-hop can serve as treatment for depression and even schizophrenia.
The hit song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams highlights the capacity of hip-hop in helping patients deal with their problems, researchers cited. They add that "Happy", along with most songs under the hip-hop genre, provide a sense of empowerment and self-knowledge that could be utilized to help individuals tackle psychological problems. Many forms of hip-hop provide an intrinsic awareness of issues, the researchers note.
Neuroscientist Becky Inkster of Cambridge University's Department of Psychiatry, and consultant psychiatrist Akeem Sule of the South Essex Partnership Trust, have formed the social venture called "Hip Hop Psych", which promotes the use of hip-hop as a supplement to the treatment of mental illness. Inkster and Sule will promote their ideas and Hip hop Psych at the University of Cambridge Festival of Ideas this October.
According to Inkster who grew up in the 90s, the golden era of hip-hop when it weaved into mainstream culture, "There is so much more to hip-hop than the public realizes. Hip-hop is rich in references to psychiatric illnesses that have not been properly explored and which could be of enormous benefit to patients." Inkster adds that their group wants to work with charities, medical groups, rappers, and many more, to promote hip-hop's real potential.
Inkster and Sule utilize hip-hop by allowing patients to write and rap their own lyrics as part of their therapy. Hip-hop can also be used to effectively teach medical students about psychiatric illnesses, they proposed.