Enhancing Health in Rural Populations: Music as Therapy

NCT07538427 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 2185298-95U54MD012388-09
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a music-based intervention can improve mental and physical health and strengthen coping skills among adults living in residential care settings in northern Arizona. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does participation in the music-based intervention reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain?, and Does participation increase the use of music as a coping strategy and improve overall well-being? Researchers will compare participants' pre-intervention and post-intervention responses to determine whether the music classes are associated with improvements in health and coping outcomes. Participants will: Attend a 6-week music class held once per week for one hour; participate in active music activities such as drumming and rhythm exercises; complete a brief survey before and after the intervention. Some participants are also invited to complete a short interview about their experiences.

Conditions

Stress; Generalized Anxiety; Chronic Pain; Depression Disorder

Keywords

Music-based intervention; Active music therapy; Drumming; Non-pharmacological intervention; behavioral therapy; Aging populations; Community-based intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)

  The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a classic stress assessment instrument. The tool, while originally developed in 1983, remains a popular choice for helping us understand how different situations affect our feelings and our perceived stress. The questions in this scale ask about feelings and thoughts during the last month. PSS can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

• The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item (GAD-2)

  The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item (GAD-2) is an ultra-brief, 2-question screening tool used in primary care to detect generalized anxiety disorder. The total score range for the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item (GAD-2) screening tool is 0 to 6, with a score of 3 or higher identifying possible cases of generalized anxiety disorder (and other common anxiety disorders).

  From enrollment to 6 weeks (post-intervention)

• Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2)

  The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) is a brief, two-question screening tool used to assess depression by measuring the frequency of depressed mood and anhedonia over the past two weeks with a total score ranging from 0 to 6. It assesses the frequency of depressed mood and anhedonia over the past two weeks, with a cut-point of 3 or greater often indicating a need for further evaluation.

  From enrollment to 6 weeks (post-intervention).

• Chronic Pain Grade Scale (CPGS)

  The purpose of the Chronic Pain Grade Scale (CPGS) was to give doctors a standard with which to work when comparing pain and health. The CPGS classifies pain severity into five hierarchical categories-Grade 0 to Grade IV-based on pain intensity and disability over the past 3-6 months. It typically uses 0-10 Likert scales for individual items, calculating subscores for intensity and disability (0-100) to determine the grade. Higher scores indicate higher intensity and disability related to pain.

  From enrollment to 6 weeks (end of intervention)

Study Arms (1)

Music-Based Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will engage in a 6-week music-based intervention consisting of one 60-minute session per week. Sessions include active music participation such as drumming, rhythm exercises, and music practices designed to improve stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and coping outcomes among adults in residential care settings.

Behavioral: Music Based Intervention

Interventions

Music Based Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants will engage in a 6-week culturally grounded music-based intervention consisting of one 60-minute session per week. Sessions include active music participation such as drumming, rhythm exercises, and Indigenous music practices designed to improve stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and coping outcomes among adults in residential care settings.

Music-Based Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• residency at one of the two elder care facilities
• ability to communicate in English.

You may not qualify if:

• not a resident at one of the two elder care facilities
• inability to communicate in English.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Northern Arizona University: lead
• National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Haven Health Flagstaff

Flagstaff, Arizona, 86001, United States

RECRUITING

The Peaks

Flagstaff, Arizona, 86001, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Anxiety Disorders; Mental Disorders; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Ariel L Roddy, PhD

CONTACT

248 298 6978; ariel.roddy@nau.edu

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 1, 2026
• First Posted: April 20, 2026
• Study Start: March 12, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 30, 2027
• Last Updated: April 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)