About this trial
Being a primary caregiver for a family member or friend can be physically and emotionally demanding leaving little time for the unpaid caregiver's professional pursuits, personal appointments, and self-care. Primary caregivers are often overwhelmed, and experience stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Passive activities that require no physical or mental exertion may provide support and can help improve overall well-being. Sounds from crystal sound bowls and other instruments combined with guided meditations have been found to promote relaxation and to reduce stress and anxiety. Participants can sit in a chair or lie on a yoga mat, supported by pillows and blankets, to enhance comfort and rest. Eye masks can also be used to minimize light and promote peacefulness. The purpose of this study is to assess if a weekly Sound Bowl Meditation, offered over the course of 6 weeks and provided by a certified Sound Bowl practitioner, can help decrease caregiver stress and anxiety related to the role as a primary caregiver.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Adults age 18 years and older
Primary, unpaid caregiver of a family member (spouse, sibling, parent, child, etc.) or an unrelated adult (friend) who is chronically ill and/or disabled
Primary, unpaid caregiver has provided care to family member or an unrelated adult for a minimum of six months
Normal hearing capacity with or without corrective hearing aids
Disqualifiers
Professional and/or paid caregivers
Inability to read and/or understand English (consent, study instructions, and questionnaires in English)
Trial design
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
Sound Bowl Meditation
Other interventionThe study intervention is a sound bowl meditation, offered weekly (same day and same time of day) for six weeks; each session will be 60 minutes in length. The sound bowl meditation will include the use of a Reem drum, Tingsha bells (small cymbals used to induce relaxation, reduce stress, and restore energetic balance), and eight crystal sound bowls. Participants will be fully clothed and will be able to sit in a chair or lie on a yoga mat with yoga props used for comfort. The sound bowl meditation will be provided by certified Sound Bowl Practitioners from the OSU Wexner Medical Center who regularly provide these interventions in the community.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7
The GAD-7 is a self-report measure of the presence and severity of anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks. Each of the 7 questions are scored from 0 to 3; (0) "not at all", (1) "several days", (2) "more than half the days", and (3) "nearly every day". Scale scores range from 0 to 21 with a score of 0 to 4 indicating minimal anxiety, 5 to 9 indicating mild anxiety, 10 to 14 indicating moderate anxiety, and 15 to 21 indicating severe anxiety.
Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale
The 10-item KCSS is a self-report measure of the perceived stress experienced by community living lay caregivers who provide day-to-day care for a family member or acquaintance. The questions are divided into three sub-scales of stressors that include caregiving (7 questions), family issues (2 questions), and financial problems (1 question). The measure can be used to monitor changes in stress levels over time, as caregiving situations may change. For each of the 10 questions, the degree of stress is rated on a 1 to 5 scale that ranging from (1) Feeling Fine/No stress (Coping fine / no problems), (2) Some stress, (3) Moderate stress, (4) A lot of stress, to (5) Extreme Stress (feeling "at the end of rope", health at risk). The total score can range from 10 to 50 with higher scores indicating higher caregiver stress.
Locations
Sponsors and contacts
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