A personalized music app to lower stress during early alcohol recovery
Developing a Music Listening mHealth Intervention for Stress Reduction in Early Recovery
This project will create a mobile app that plays tailored music to help adults in the first 90 days after detox lower stress and manage cravings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pullman, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169683 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would use a smartphone app that delivers music chosen to calm emotions and reduce stress when you need it most. The team will first build and personalize the music-listening program, then test it with people in early recovery to see how it works in everyday life. The app will send music at moments of high stress using real-time prompts and self-reports, and researchers will track stress and coping over the first 90 days after detox. The goal is to make a simple on-demand tool you can use outside the clinic when cravings or stress hit.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older who are within the first 90 days after detoxification for alcohol use are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People under 21, individuals not in early alcohol recovery, or those with conditions that prevent smartphone use may not benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give people in early recovery an easy, on-demand way to lower stress and potentially reduce relapse risk.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows music can influence brain areas for reward and emotion and help with emotion regulation, but using a just-in-time adaptive music app for relapse prevention is a new approach.
Where this research is happening
Pullman, United States
- Washington State University — Pullman, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cleveland, Michael — Washington State University
- Study coordinator: Cleveland, Michael
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.