Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

School-based Practices in Arts and Resilience for Kids

ConditionsAnxietyPosttraumatic Stress DisorderTrauma
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age11-14
SponsorWayne State University

About this trial

This proposal will implement and test feasibility and efficacy of school-based art therapy and yoga/mindfulness programming to reduce mental health disparities and foster resilience in youth. We will conduct a cross-over randomized trial with n=250 youth (any race/ethnicity or gender, ages 11-14) from two schools: one serving majority Black/African American students and one serving a population-representative ethnoracial demographic with 50% economically disadvantaged students. Baseline data collection will assess experiences of discrimination, negative experiences, positive experiences, and severity of posttraumatic stress, anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms, and resilience. Youth will be randomly assigned to art therapy or yoga/mindfulness for a quarter. Hour-long weekly sessions will occur during elective course times within school to bolster accessibility and generate data to inform future school-based care models for sustainability. Target schools co-developed this design with the research team. At the end of the quarter, participants will engage in post-intervention data collection, including qualitative interviews regarding their experience with the school-based programming. Participants will then cross over to the yoga/mindfulness or art therapy for the subsequent quarter, such that all participants receive both modalities. The methods described above will be repeated, including the assessments. Academic performance will be assessed throughout. We hypothesize that both modalities will be effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression related to discrimination, adversity, and trauma that disproportionately impacts racially and ethnically minoritized youth. We anticipate that qualitative feedback will identify points of optimization for programming and inform which students may be most responsive to what intervention(s).

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Ages 11-14 years, inclusive.

Any gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

English-speaking, given that study interventions and assessments will be in English.

Ability to provide written informed assent or oral assent.

Disqualifiers

Current or past bipolar I/II disorder

Current or past psychotic disorder

Autism spectrum disorders or any other severe developmental disorder

Trial design

Design model

Crossover

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Art Therapy

    Behavioral

    The art therapy program will include different weekly experientials to explore mindfulness, establish safety, cultivate relaxation, find strength, honor self-identity, and cultivate community. Art media will include markers, colored pencils, fabrics, watercolors, collage, and yarn.

  • Yoga/Mindfulness

    Behavioral

    The yoga/mindfulness curriculum will explore consciousness (awareness of self and others), compassion, confidence, courage, and community. Each week, new movement and breathing exercises will be learned.

Treatment groups

250 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Art Therapy, Yoga/MindfulnessExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Group B: Yoga/Mindfulness, Art TherapyExperimental treatment 2 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Anxiety

We will measure severity of self-reported anxiety symptoms before, during, and after interventions, up to 3 months post interventions, for a total duration of one year. To measure severity of self-reported anxiety symptoms, we will use the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders, a valid and reliable measure for children and adolescents ages 7-17. The SCARED captures symptoms related to panic disorder / somatic symptoms, generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety, social anxiety, and school avoidance.

Time frame
One year

Secondary outcomes

1

Posttraumatic Stress

We will measure severity of self-reported post traumatic stress symptoms in youth who endorse at least one traumatic exposure. To measure traumatic exposures and PTSD symptoms, we will use the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index. The UCLA PTSD RI is a valid and reliable measure developed for children and adolescents ages 7-17. The first component of the measures captures the index trauma (Criterion A), and the second component assesses the core symptoms of PTSD - reexperiencing / intrusive symptoms (Criterion B), avoidance (Criterion C), negative changes in cognitions and mood (Criterion D), arousal (Criterion E), and dissociative symptoms (Dissociative Subtype). We will measure symptoms before, during, and after the intervention, up to three months post interventions, for a total duration of one year.

Time frame
One year
2

Depression

We will measure self-reported severity of depression. To measure self-reported severity of depression, we will use the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire. The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure for assessing symptoms related to depression in children and adolescents. We will measure symptoms before, during, and after the intervention, up to three months post interventions, for a total duration of one year.

Time frame
One year
3

Resilience

We will measure self-reports of resilience using the Brief Resilience Scale. We will measure resilience before, during, and after the intervention, up to three months post interventions, for a total duration of one year.

Time frame
One year

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Wayne State University

Lead sponsor

Chandler Park Academy

Collaborator

Jefferson Middle School

Collaborator

Lakeview Public Schools

Collaborator

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

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