Effectiveness of a Sound Bowl Meditation on Caregiver Stress and Anxiety

NCT07626320 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 20260474
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Being a primary caregiver for a family member or friend can be physically and emotionally demanding leaving little time for the unpaid caregiver's professional pursuits, personal appointments, and self-care. Primary caregivers are often overwhelmed, and experience stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Passive activities that require no physical or mental exertion may provide support and can help improve overall well-being. Sounds from crystal sound bowls and other instruments combined with guided meditations have been found to promote relaxation and to reduce stress and anxiety. Participants can sit in a chair or lie on a yoga mat, supported by pillows and blankets, to enhance comfort and rest. Eye masks can also be used to minimize light and promote peacefulness. The purpose of this study is to assess if a weekly Sound Bowl Meditation, offered over the course of 6 weeks and provided by a certified Sound Bowl practitioner, can help decrease caregiver stress and anxiety related to the role as a primary caregiver.

Conditions

Anxiety; Stress

Keywords

caregiver; family caregiver; caregiver stress; anxiety; caregiver anxiety

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7

  The GAD-7 is a self-report measure of the presence and severity of anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks. Each of the 7 questions are scored from 0 to 3; (0) "not at all", (1) "several days", (2) "more than half the days", and (3) "nearly every day". Scale scores range from 0 to 21 with a score of 0 to 4 indicating minimal anxiety, 5 to 9 indicating mild anxiety, 10 to 14 indicating moderate anxiety, and 15 to 21 indicating severe anxiety.

  At baseline and at the end of the 6-week intervention.

• Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale

  The 10-item KCSS is a self-report measure of the perceived stress experienced by community living lay caregivers who provide day-to-day care for a family member or acquaintance. The questions are divided into three sub-scales of stressors that include caregiving (7 questions), family issues (2 questions), and financial problems (1 question). The measure can be used to monitor changes in stress levels over time, as caregiving situations may change. For each of the 10 questions, the degree of stress is rated on a 1 to 5 scale that ranging from (1) Feeling Fine/No stress (Coping fine / no problems), (2) Some stress, (3) Moderate stress, (4) A lot of stress, to (5) Extreme Stress (feeling "at the end of rope", health at risk). The total score can range from 10 to 50 with higher scores indicating higher caregiver stress.

  At baseline and at end of the 6-week intervention.

Study Arms (1)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Intervention Group will receive a 6-week (1-60 minute session weekly) sound bowl meditation in a community, group setting.

Other: Sound Bowl Meditation

Interventions

Sound Bowl Meditation OTHER

The study intervention is a sound bowl meditation, offered weekly (same day and same time of day) for six weeks; each session will be 60 minutes in length. The sound bowl meditation will include the use of a Reem drum, Tingsha bells (small cymbals used to induce relaxation, reduce stress, and restore energetic balance), and eight crystal sound bowls. Participants will be fully clothed and will be able to sit in a chair or lie on a yoga mat with yoga props used for comfort. The sound bowl meditation will be provided by certified Sound Bowl Practitioners from the OSU Wexner Medical Center who regularly provide these interventions in the community.

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults age 18 years and older
• Primary, unpaid caregiver of a family member (spouse, sibling, parent, child, etc.) or an unrelated adult (friend) who is chronically ill and/or disabled
• Primary, unpaid caregiver has provided care to family member or an unrelated adult for a minimum of six months
• Normal hearing capacity with or without corrective hearing aids
• Availability and willingness to participate in the six week sound bowl meditation intervention
• Access to a smartphone or personal electronic tablet with adequate WiFi access and a personal email
• Willingness and ability to download the MyCap app to complete study surveys

You may not qualify if:

• Professional and/or paid caregivers
• Inability to read and/or understand English (consent, study instructions, and questionnaires in English)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ohio State University: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Caregiver Burden

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Beth Steinberg, PhD, RN

  The Ohio State Unversity

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Beth Steinberg, PhD, RN

CONTACT

614-406-7067; beth.steinberg@osumc.edu

Sienna Andres, BA

CONTACT

380-283-6479; sienna.andres@osumc.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: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Director of Research

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 29, 2026
• First Posted: June 4, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Last Updated: June 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05