The Impact of Performing Arts on Mental Health, Social Connection, and Creativity in University Students

NCT06542003 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NUS-IRB-2023-3
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 76
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether the "Movin' \& Groovin' for Wellness" (MGW) performing arts program is able to support mental, social, and emotional health in NUS students. It will also assess the program's impact on students' well-being. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. 1.Does participation in the program decrease depressive symptoms, stress levels and anxiety?
2. 2.Does the program foster creative expression among participants?
3. 3.Does the program foster social connections among participants?

Conditions

Mental Health; Quality of Life; Social Isolation; Creativity

Keywords

mental health; social connection; creative expression; arts and health; music intervention; dancing; drumming; performing arts

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Changes in depressive symptoms, stress levels and anxiety levels

  Measurement of participants' depressive symptoms, stress levels and anxiety levels using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The scores from the DASS-21 questionnaire are used to assess these changes. Depression/Anxiety/Stress sub-scales' scores can range from 0-21 with higher scores indicating worse symptoms.

  Baseline, Week 5, Week 10

• Changes in quality of life

  Measurement of participants' quality of life using the WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). This measure captures physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental domains. The physical, psychological, social, and environmental domain scores each range from 4-20 with higher scores indicating a higher quality of life.

  Baseline, Week 5, Week 10

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Changes in social connection

  Baseline, Week 5, Week 10

• Changes in creativity

  Baseline, Week 5, Week 10

• Changes in resilience

  Baseline, Week 5, Week 10

• Changes in mood regulation through music

  Baseline, Week 5, Week 10

• Participant experience

  Week 5, Week 10

Study Arms (2)

MGW Drum and Dance Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the intervention group engage in a 10-week program that includes both drumming and dancing sessions. The group is further divided into two subgroups due to logistical reasons, with one subgroup attending five weeks of drumming sessions followed by five weeks of dancing sessions, and the other subgroup attending sessions in the opposite order. All participants in this arm participate in both drumming and dancing sessions.

Behavioral: Movin' and Groovin' for Wellness

No-treatment Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the control group do not participate in the drumming and dancing sessions. They represent "normal student life". They only complete the same questionnaires at the same time points as the intervention group to serve as a baseline comparison for evaluating the impact of the interventions.

Interventions

Movin' and Groovin' for Wellness BEHAVIORAL

Movin' and Groovin' for Wellness (MGW) is a 10-week program consisting of facilitated drumming and dancing sessions. The sessions include guided activities involving drumming, dancing, and group improvisation. Each session lasts approximately 1.5 hours, with activities designed to improve mental well-being, enhance social connections, and foster creative expression. The sessions are guided by professional facilitators.

MGW Drum and Dance Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Be currently enrolled in NUS
• Be between the ages of 18-40 years old
• Be fluent (speak and write) in English
• Able to commit to attending the live sessions for the entire 10-week period
• Have normal or corrected-to-normal hearing and vision

You may not qualify if:

• Have been diagnosed with a neurological or hearing impairment, or a physical impairment that would prevent moving/dancing
• Are taking medicine to treat their mental health (as this would be a confound in the study)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National University of Singapore: lead

Study Sites (1)

YST Conservatory, 3 Conservatory Drive

Singapore, 117376, Singapore

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Agres KR, Chen Y. The impact of performing arts on mental health, social connection, and creativity in university students: a Randomised Controlled Trial. BMC Public Health. 2025 May 2;25(1):1628. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22552-3.

  PMID: 40316963 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being; Social Isolation; Arts syndrome

Interventions

Health

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior; Social Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Population Characteristics

Study Officials

• Kathleen R Agres, PhD

  National University of Singapore

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Because participants are either actively receiving facilitated participatory arts sessions or not, it is not possible to mask the intervention.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: Participants are randomly assigned to two primary groups: an intervention group and a control group. Within the intervention group, participants are further divided into two subgroups due to logistical reasons, allowing for separate sessions for music and dance activities. This division is not to provide different interventions, but rather to manage the logistics of hosting the sessions, e.g. where only so many students may participate in group drumming at a time.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 3, 2024
• First Posted: August 7, 2024
• Study Start: August 29, 2023
• Primary Completion: November 27, 2023
• Study Completion: December 1, 2023
• Last Updated: August 12, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SG (1)