Anxiety AcuteDG_PACNCT07375043
Drumming Groups for Parents of Autistic Children
A study testing Group Drumming in people with Anxiety Acute and Stress, run by Arizona State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Anxiety Acute, Stress, Depression and Quality of Life
- What is being tested?
- Group Drumming
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 9 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 31 Mar 2026to 1 Jul 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- parents or main caregivers of children in the Autism Spectrum,
- able to read and write in English.
- 18 years or older
Who cannot join
- Paid caregivers
- Unable to speak, read and write in English
- Unable to follow instructions in English
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Gateway Building, Room 361 & 363, Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, 85287
About this study
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.
Read the detailed description
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.
- Conditions
- Anxiety Acute, Stress, Depression and Quality of Life, Stress in Parents of Autistic Children
- Being tested
- Group Drumming
- Keywords
- autism, stress, parents, caregivers, anxiety, depression
- Medical subject headings
- Depression, Autistic Disorder, Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Group DrummingBehavioural
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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Parents will participate in drumming sessions that teach stress management techniques, sense of belonging, and coping skills for depression and anxiety. Receives: Behavioral: Group Drumming |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
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).
Measured: 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).
Measured: Pretest at the beginning of the 4th and 8th weekly session, and posttest at the end of the 4th and 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.
Measured: Posttest at the end of the 8th weekly session.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Jan 2026
- Study start31 Mar 2026
- Primary completion1 Jul 2026
- Study completion1 Jul 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Anxiety AcuteStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Arizona State UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 9 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Arizona State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Eugenia Hernandez-Ruiz, Arizona State University
- Investigators
- Eugenia Hernandez Ruiz, PhD, Principal investigator, Arizona State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07375043
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00022914
- Acronym
- DG_PAC
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 5 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Researchers will make the data available upon written request
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Drumming Groups for Parents of Autistic Children
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07375043
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- DG_PAC / STUDY00022914
- Conditions
- Anxiety Acute, Stress, Depression and Quality of Life, Stress in Parents of Autistic Children
- Keywords
- autism, stress, parents, caregivers, anxiety, depression
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 9 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Arizona State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 31 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Detailed description
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 design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Group DrummingParents will participate in drumming sessions that teach stress management techniques, sense of belonging, and coping skills for depression and anxiety. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- parents or main caregivers of children in the Autism Spectrum,
- able to read and write in English.
- 18 years or older
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Paid caregivers
- Unable to speak, read and write in English
- Unable to follow instructions in English
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Group DrummingThis 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. | Behavioural | Intervention |
Primary outcome
K-10
Time frame: Pretest at the beginning of the first weekly session, and posttest at the end of the 8th weekly session.
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).
STAI-S
Time frame: Pretest at the beginning of the 4th and 8th weekly session, and posttest at the end of the 4th and 8th weekly session.
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).
GTES
Time frame: Posttest at the end of the 8th weekly session.
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.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Researchers will make the data available upon written request
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Eugenia Hernandez Ruiz, PhD principal investigator
Arizona State University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Group Drumming in people with Anxiety Acute and Stress, run by Arizona State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
K-10 (time frame: Pretest at the beginning of the first weekly session, and posttest at the end of the 8th weekly session.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Oct 2026.