Evaluating the Community Drum Circle

NCT06513858 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 2 other identifiers: 2000028866_c2R25MH071584-11
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Mental health vulnerability due to stress is increased America due to disproportionate effects of social factors such as racism, poverty, education, and criminal justice sentencing. Various meditation and mindfulness approaches have provided evidence of measured reductions in multiple negative dimensions of stress. However, the majority of these studies do not have an adequate representation of Persons of African Descent(PAD) or other marginalized groups and are not designed to be culturally relevant or community based. Music has been shown to alleviate multiple symptoms of stress and has been shown to be a preferred and effective support for meditation and mindfulness. However, its role in stress management in PADs engaged in meditation or mindfulness is seldom studied. This study aims to evaluate the effects of a community-based music mindfulness program on stress management in PAD community members with anxiety and depression during COVID19. Component 2c. Drum Circle Study: Investigators will study the impact of participation in drum circles on anxiety and feelings of connectedness.

Conditions

Mental Health Issue; COVID-19

Keywords

Mindfulness; Meditation; Music

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Rating of Absorption in music pre vs post sessions

  These ratings are classified on a scale from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating no absorption and 1 indicating complete absorption.

  Baseline on day of study visit before drum circle, during drum circle (45min), 30 min after music listening

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale

  Baseline on day of study visit before drum circle, during drum circle (45min), 30 min after music listening

Study Arms (2)

Drum Circle- Cohort 1

EXPERIMENTAL

Cohort 1 will listen together to recordings of drumming and be allowed to drum along while listening. The facilitator will lead participants in procedures such as checking in (e.g. "How are you doing today?" before and after the circle) and breathing exercise.

Behavioral: Communal Drumming; Behavioral: Communal drumming recordings

Drum Circle Control Group- Cohort 2

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Control investigations will also be conducted to better understand the contribution communal drumming has on effects of anxiety and connectedness. All control investigations will take place in the same space and at the same frequency as the associated experimental arm but with no drumming. All participants will be asked to complete the same surveys and at the same frequency to those completed in the experimental arm.

Behavioral: Communal drumming recordings

Interventions

Communal Drumming BEHAVIORAL

Communal drumming

Drum Circle- Cohort 1

Communal drumming recordings BEHAVIORAL

Recordings of drumming taken from the music made during a previous component of the study

Drum Circle Control Group- Cohort 2; Drum Circle- Cohort 1

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• ages 16 and older

You may not qualify if:

• ages 15 and younger

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Yale University: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

BLOOM

New Haven, Connecticut, 06515, United States

Location

Musical Intervention Studios

New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

COVID-19

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases

Study Officials

• AZA Allsop, MD, PhD

  Yale University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 10, 2024
• First Posted: July 22, 2024
• Study Start: August 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2026
• Study Completion: March 1, 2026
• Last Updated: February 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

US (2)