nagpur a simple humming of some song even in the bathroom can be a great stress reliever and learning classical music can develop abilities like controlling anger and emotions many such interesting facts were revealed in a compelling and enlightening address by psychiatrist dr savita malhotra former dean and hod of psychiatry of pgimer chandigarh on sunday dr malhotra who has been working for more than 40 years in child adolescent psychiatry shed light on the transformative power of music in enhancing the mental health of a majority of indians during the installation ceremony of the vidarbha psychiatric association vpa she captivated the audience with her elaborate presentation on music and mental health dr malhotra highlighted the unique qualities of music which sets it apart from language unlike words music operates independently of rational and intellectual processes evoking an autonomous response and eliciting emotions in individuals in certain situations words may fall short of expressing complex feelings in contrast music processed through the frontlimbic structures of the forebrain can effectively communicate and enhance the emotional content she said dr malhotra also explored the role of music as a means of communication and therapy in mental illness she shared compelling evidence suggesting that musical ability may have a genetic basis with a concentration of talent observed within certain families children born in musical families and those who learn music can easily develop innate abilities to face stress anxiety and depression she saidone intriguing aspect of her presentation focused on the therapeutic effects of humming a vocal production of continuous lowfrequency sounds humming can stimulate the vagus nerve a crucial component of the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for regulating heart rhythm digestion and mood as a result humming triggers various physiological and neurological processes that aid in relaxation and stress reduction she said prior to dr malhotras discourse veteran psychiatrist dr sudhir bhave discussed the fascinating connection between bollywood music and the indian psyche he emphasized musics profound impact on moods and its potential as a valuable supplementary tool in treating mental illnesses dr durga bang was installed as president and dr sudhir mahajan as honorary secretary of vpa for 202324 psychiatrist dr avinash joshi delivered an inspiring chief guest address