This project aims to encourage a sense of belonging, community, and emotional support for parents of autistic children through a group drumming (music therapy) intervention.
This pilot one-group pretest-posttest study will investigate the limited efficacy and acceptability of an 8-week drumming group on immediate stress (pre-post session) as measured by the STAI-S Short Form scale (Spielberger, 1977); on anxiety and depressive symptoms, as measured by the K-10 scale (Kessler et al., 2002) before and after the 8-week program, and group cohesion and acceptability as measured by the Group Therapy Experience Scale (GTES, Marziliano et al., 2018) after the program. As a group setting, this program does not substitute clinical treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
10
This Drumming program is based on HealthRhythms®, a drumming protocol that has been used extensively in clinical and community populations and has research support (e.g., Grab et al., 2023; Stevens \& Fowl, 2024; Wachi et al., 2007). Adaptations will be derived from the PI's clinical and research experience with parents of autistic children. Each drumming session will have the following structure: introduction to the program, light movement \& music, icebreakers with small percussions, technique pointers for percussion instruments, rhythmic introductions (sharing names with a percussive rhythm), free group drumming, soundscapes (creating visualizations with drumming), verbal processing, closing drumming exercise. The soundscapes are creative outlets to "paint a picture" with music. These exercises promote community, engagement, emotional expression, and creative thinking, which reduce stress. Specific strategies will include reflecting, mirroring, validating, and solution reframing.
Gateway Building, Room 361 & 363, Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, United States
K-10
Anxiety and depressive symptoms, as measured by the K-10 scale (Kessler et al., 2002). Maximum score is 50, with each of the 10 items scored 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate higher distress. Optimal cutoff scores for clinically significant nonspecific psychological distress and need for treatment: total score =12, Depression = 7, and Anxiety = 3/4 (Lace et al., 2019).
Time frame: Pretest at the beginning of the first weekly session, and posttest at the end of the 8th weekly session.
STAI-S
Measures of state anxiety as measured by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults- Short Form Y1 (STAIAD-S Y1) scale (Spielberger, 1977). Maximum score is 40, with each of the 10 items scored 1 to 4, and four reverse-coded items. Higher scores indicate less anxiety (more wellbeing).
Time frame: Pretest at the beginning of the first weekly session, and posttest at the end of the 8th weekly session.
GTES
Group cohesion and acceptability as measured by the Group Therapy Experience Scale (GTES, Marziliano et al., 2018). Maximum score is 80 with each of the 16 items scored from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate better group experience.
Time frame: Posttest at the end of the 8th weekly session.
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