Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy and Generation Z

NCT04834765 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: TVanLith
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 86
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

A randomized controlled trial will be conducted to determine the unique role of the arts as a proactive mental health strategy for college students in Generation Z. Arts-only, mindfulness-only, and arts-based mindfulness interventions as they compare to a non-intervention control group. These interventions will be delivered using a minimal contact, web-based approach. Psychological and physiological outcomes will be measured to determine if arts-related interventions activate unique and distinguishable mechanisms of change compared to the mindfulness only intervention and non-intervention control groups. In addition, protective effects will be assessed based on student participants' response to an acute academic stress simulation. Qualitative data in the form of transcribed exit interviews will be analyzed to characterize the unique needs of Generation Z students, along with level of engagement, intervention acceptance and satisfaction.

Conditions

Anxiety Depression

Keywords

Stress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• IL-6 Saliva Elisa

  Tests for levels human Interleukin-6

  Change from Week 1 to twice during Week 5 conducted before and after TSST

• Salimetrics Cortisol EIA Test

  Tests for salivary cortisol levels

  Change from Week 1 to twice during Week 5 conducted before and after TSST

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7)- Spitzer et al. 2006

  Within first four weeks before study commences, then change from Week 1, to during Week 5, and then to 6 week follow-up

• Somatic Symptom Scale 8 (SSS-8)- Gierk et al. 2014 (A brief version of the popular Patient Health Questionnaire - 15)

  Change from Week 1, to during Week 5, and then to 6 week follow-up

• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)- Buysse 1989

  Change from Week 1, to during Week 5, and then to 6 week follow-up

• 5 Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form (FFMQ)- Bohlmeijer et al. 2011

  Change from Week 1, to during Week 5, and then to 6 week follow-up

• Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10)- Cohen, Kamarck and Mermelstein 2016

  Change from Week 1, to during Week 5, and then to 6 week follow-up

Study Arms (4)

Mindfulness

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will be engaging in a mindfulness tasks twice per week for 5 weeks in which they will learn techniques through the use of yoga, meditation and breathwork.

Other: Mindfulness-only

Art Therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will engage in art therapy with the use of clay twice per week through prompts.

Other: Art-only

Mindfulness based Art Therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will engage in both mindfulness activities and art therapy twice per week and will learn techniques through the use of yoga, mediation, breathwork and art.

Other: Mindfulness-based art therapy

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will go about daily life as usual.

Interventions

Mindfulness-based art therapy OTHER

The researchers developed a novel MBAT intervention consisting of 10 easily reproducible, clay-based MBAT directives, administered through an online platform delivery strategy. By developing an MBAT intervention that uses an online delivery strategy, the researchers realized it may have the potential of decreasing demands placed on counseling centers.

Mindfulness based Art Therapy

Art-only OTHER

The AO modules consist of an open-ended art-making exercise, with minimal direction. The AO intervention is designed as an 'art for art's sake' intervention with the focus on the art-making and less on outcome or product. Participants are asked to pull their ball of clay out and spend ten minutes creating a form from the clay to visually express their experience in the present moment.

Art Therapy

Mindfulness-only OTHER

The MO modules consist of only the mindfulness practices from the ABM intervention. The participants to follow along with a five-minute light yoga sequence, where asanas (yoga postures) are cued with breath. Yoga, for the purposes of the study, is explicitly defined to participants as the unity of breath with body movement. Poses were chosen based on their accessibility to a variety of body types and abilities, and chosen because they are documented to aid in grounding, increased haptic awareness, lowered levels of stress and anxiety, and restoration.

Mindfulness

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Enrolled full time in an academic program at Florida State University and fit within age category of Generation Z

You may not qualify if:

• Regular tobacco smoking and over the age of 25

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Florida State University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida, 32308, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Van Lith T, Cheshure A, Pickett SM, Stanwood GD, Beerse M. Mindfulness based art therapy study protocol to determine efficacy in reducing college stress and anxiety. BMC Psychol. 2021 Sep 3;9(1):134. doi: 10.1186/s40359-021-00634-2.

  PMID: 34479649 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Theresa Van Lith, PhD

  Florida State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor & Clinical Coordinator of Art Therapy

Model Details: 3 intervention groups- Mindfulness only, Art Therapy only and combined Mindfulness based Art Therapy. 1 control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 17, 2021
• First Posted: April 8, 2021
• Study Start: April 5, 2020
• Primary Completion: February 22, 2022
• Study Completion: April 5, 2022
• Last Updated: April 5, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-04

Locations

US (1)