NCT07033052

Developing Resilience and Anxiety Management Through the Arts

Developing Resilience and Anxiety Management Through the Arts (DRAMA) 2

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 110 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Case Western Reserve University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 8 Years – 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The Developing Resilience and Anxiety Management Through the Arts (DRAMA) Study examines the degree to which the arts can help to address stress, anxiety, and sad mood in children and adolescents. The researchers will pair theatrical improvisation exercises with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques versus improvisation exercises alone versus a social craft group on reducing elevated levels of anxiety and depression.

Detailed description

The purpose of this study is to observe the benefits of theatrical improvisation exercises paired with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques versus improvisation exercises alone versus a craft control group on reducing elevated levels of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents. It is possible that improvisational techniques could reduce anxiety and depression symptoms because they involve being spontaneous and going into social situations as well as creating something larger than oneself through the group (e.g., creating a scene, working together, etc.). It is also possible that the addition of CBT techniques might lead to a further reduction in anxiety and depression. The study will compare these to a control craft group where youth work on craft projects. The researchers hypothesize that improvisation exercises paired with CBT techniques will be more effective at reducing anxiety and depression than improvisational exercises alone, which we expect will be more effective than a craft group. This improvisation course will not be implemented by licensed therapists or psychologists. Group leaders will be undergraduates, schoolteachers, and graduate students without a background in therapy or counseling (e.g., drama students, music students, etc.) As such, it is important to note that this should not be considered "therapy" or an "intervention." It should not replace intensive treatment for children or adolescents who require a higher level of treatment. Rather, it can be considered a supplementary or preventative group that can help children or adolescents manage feelings of anxiety or depression. The goal of the study is to reduce existing levels of anxiety and depression, prevent the development of new symptoms, and prevent exacerbation of symptoms.

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Improvisation + Wellness	Theatrical improvisation exercises, the theatrical art of performance and storytelling without a script, will be combined with wellness techniques
BEHAVIORAL	Improvisation	Theatrical improvisation exercises (the theatrical art of performance and storytelling without a script) will be completed in this arm. These exercises will be fairly similar to that from the improvisation + wellness but without the wellness techniques.
BEHAVIORAL	Social Craft	Participants assigned to the Social Craft group will engage in arts and crafts projects and activities

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-04-15
• Primary completion: 2027-07-01
• Completion: 2027-07-01
• First posted: 2025-06-24
• Last updated: 2025-07-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States