Clinical trial NCT06542003: The Impact of Performing Arts on Mental Health, Social Connection, and Creativity in University Students
Official title: Movin' & Groovin' for Wellness: A Drumming and Dancing Program to Support Well-being in NUS Students
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
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
Lead sponsor: National University of Singapore
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-08-07
Enrollment: 76
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 40
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: 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.
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

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

Researchers compare the effects of the facilitated music and dance sessions (MGW program) to a Control group that does not participate in these activities. Participants are randomly assigned into either the Experimental (MGW) group or Control group.

Those in the Experimental group are randomly allocated to one of two subgroups, where participants either experience drumming or dancing sessions first (for 5 weeks), followed by the other activity (e.g., the only difference between subgroups is the order in which they experience the facilitated sessions). Both the drumming and dancing sessions are led by trained professionals. The sessions are held weekly for 10 weeks in dedicated performance rooms. Participants also complete questionnaires, and have the opportunity to participate in a focus group discussion to provide feedback about the program.

Control group participants complete the same questionnaires at the same time points without participating in the activities. The program aims to evaluate the effectiveness of music and dance in promoting mental health, social well-being, and creativity among university students.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 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

Exclusion Criteria:

* 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)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Changes in depressive symptoms, stress levels and anxiety levels
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 10
measure: Changes in quality of life
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 10
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Changes in social connection
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 10
measure: Changes in creativity
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 10
measure: Changes in resilience
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 10
measure: Changes in mood regulation through music
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 10
measure: Participant experience
timeFrame: Week 5, Week 10
measure: Qualitative feedback from focus group discussion
timeFrame: Within two weeks post-program completion
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Singapore
country: Singapore
facility: YST Conservatory, 3 Conservatory Drive
Study officials:
affiliation: National University of Singapore
name: Kathleen R Agres, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: