Music to improve health and coping for older adults in rural long-term care
Official title: Enhancing Health in Rural Populations: Music as Therapy
Run by Northern Arizona University · NCT07538427 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try a 6-week music program with active activities like drumming to see if it reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and pain and helps adults living in two Flagstaff long-term care facilities cope better.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Northern Arizona University Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Flagstaff, Arizona and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 12, 2026 |
| Main results expected | May 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | May 30, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | April 20, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07538427 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are English-speaking residents of the two participating elder care facilities in Flagstaff who can engage in a group music class.
✕Probably not a fit
People who do not live at those facilities, cannot communicate in English, or are unable to participate in group activities are unlikely to be eligible or benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will deliver a 6-week, once-weekly one-hour group music-based intervention featuring active music-making such as drumming and rhythm exercises at two elder care facilities in Flagstaff, Arizona. Participants will complete brief surveys before and after the program to compare symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and use of music as a coping strategy, and some will be invited for short interviews about their experiences. The project includes older adults with varying levels of cognitive function and focuses on feasibility, personalization, and continuity of musical exposure in rural long-term care settings. Outcomes will inform whether this non-pharmacological approach is meaningful, safe, and practical for aging populations with limited access to other therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could provide a low-cost, non-drug way to reduce mental and physical symptoms and strengthen coping and social engagement for older adults in rural care settings.
How similar studies have gone: Previous music-based interventions have shown promising improvements in mood, pain, and social connection among older adults, though evidence in rural long-term care settings is still limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * residency at one of the two elder care facilities * ability to communicate in English. Exclusion Criteria: * not a resident at one of the two elder care facilities * inability to communicate in English.
Where it's running
-
Haven Health Flagstaff
Flagstaff, Arizona, United States Recruiting -
The Peaks
Flagstaff, Arizona, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Ariel L Roddy, PhD
- Email: ariel.roddy@nau.edu
- Phone: 248 298 6978
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Transcranial electrical stimulation for depression with chronic pain
This trial tests whether active tACS or tDCS can help reduce pain in people with major depressive disorder and chronic pain, compared with a sham treatment.
-
Cognitive Rehabilitation of Everyday Goals With GMT: How Different Ways of Delivery Work
This study tests Goal Management Training to see if a Swedish version helps adults with acquired brain injury or chronic pain improve practical goal-directed thinking and daily functioning.
-
One-time Pain Reprocessing Therapy session for chronic pain at The Ottawa Hospital
A single four-hour session of Pain Reprocessing Therapy is being tested to see if it can help adults with chronic pain feel better and have less pain.
-
Meaning-Based Psychotherapy for Adults with Chronic Pain
This trial tests whether Meaning-Based Psychotherapy helps adults with chronic pain feel more purposeful, feel less depressed, and have a better quality of life compared with optimized usual care therapy.
-
How chronic pain changes over time in kids with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
This study is following children and teens with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for 6 months to see how their chronic pain changes and how it affects daily life.
-
Neural links for real-world emotions in mood and anxiety
Researchers are testing how real-life emotional moments relate to brain activity and stress responses in young adults with mood and anxiety symptoms, using smartphones, self-reports, tasks, and MRI.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.