Mental health vulnerability due to stress is increased in People of African Descent(PADs) in America due to disproportionate effects of racism, poverty, education, andcriminal justice sentencing. Various meditation and mindfulness approaches have providedevidence of measured reductions in multiple negative dimensions of stress. However, themajority of these studies do not have an adequate representation of PADs or othermarginalized groups and are not designed to be culturally relevant or community based.Music has been shown to alleviate multiple symptoms of stress and has been shown to be apreferred and effective support for meditation and mindfulness. However, its role instress management in PADs engaged in meditation or mindfulness is seldom studied. Thisstudy aims to evaluate the effects of a virtual, community-based music mindfulnessprogram on stress management in PAD community members with anxiety and depression duringCOVID19.Component 2d. Social Perception Tasks: Participants may be asked to take part in socialperception tasks in which they will be asked to indicate their social perception andconnection felt with various partners.
The investigators also propose a study to investigate the effects of communal drumming in
reducing anxiety and increasing connectedness within drum circle community. Investigators
hypothesize that these intervention will lead to reductions in scores on stress scales
and will provide preliminary data for studies evaluating these types of community
programs as an adjunct to the standard of care.
Paradigms will be designed such that participants experience speed-dating like
interactions with individuals in which they are not allowed to verbally communicate.
After silently interacting with each partner, subjects will be prompted to answer survey
questions about their perceptions of their partner and their interaction. This task will
take place in a variety of settings.
This task was developed to quantify group dynamics. Participants that are enrolled and
consented in a study are given a participant ID number. Each participant sits 2 feet
across from another participant. They are paired with that participant for 30 seconds.
They are instructed that they can look freely across at their own will. After 30 seconds
they are asked to answer the following questions on a Likert scale 1-7 about the
interaction with the other participant:
What is your partner's ID? How connected do you feel to this partner? (very
unconnected-very connected) How approachable do you think this person is? (very
unapproachable-very approachable) How likely is this person to be in your socioeconomic
class? (very unlikely-very likely) How likely is this person to share your political
views? (very unlikely-very likely) How willing are you to discuss a controversial subject
with this partner? (very unwilling - very willing) How willing are you to compromise to
solve a complex problem with this partner? (very unwilling - very willing)
Following this they are paired with another participant in the group and complete the
same questions. This continues until they have been matched with all other participants.
Behavioral: Social perception tasks
social perception tasks
Inclusion Criteria:
- ages 16 and older
Exclusion Criteria:
- ages 15 and younger
BLOOM
New Haven 4839366, Connecticut 4831725, United States
Musical Intervention Studios
New Haven 4839366, Connecticut 4831725, United States
AZA Allsop, MD, PhD
240-422-3289
Aza.allsop@yale.edu
AZA Allsop, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator
Yale University