Testing the SoundHeal Multi-Sensory Therapy to Help Justice-Involved Youth Aged 12 to 18 Improve Emotional Control and Mental Health

What this Trial Is About

Emotional dysregulation is a significant challenge among justice-involved youth JIY, affecting many detained adolescents with conditions like ADHD, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. This research evaluates the SoundHeal multi-sensory integrative therapy, designed to improve emotional regulation, therapeutic alliance, and mental health outcomes in these young people. The study focuses on youth aged 12 to 18 years in juvenile detention who often face difficulties with anger, impulsivity, and engagement in treatment. The study uses the Healpod, a small, private booth delivering sound, music, gentle vibrations, and ambient light for about five minutes per session. Participants use the Healpod one to two times a week for eight weeks before their scheduled therapy sessions. After each session, they complete a brief journaling or drawing activity to reflect on their feelings, which therapists use to guide talk therapy. This intervention is given alongside standard care at the detention facility and does not involve medications or invasive procedures. Participants will attend the Healpod sessions and complete questionnaires at the start, weekly, and end of the eight-week study. Therapists will assess therapeutic engagement after each counseling session. Researchers will measure changes in emotional regulation, coping skills, depression, anxiety, stress, and interoceptive awareness throughout the study. The study aims to understand how this sensory approach may support long-term mental health and substance use treatment in detained youth.

Effectiveness of the SoundHeal Multi-Sensory Integrative Therapy Among Justice-Involved Youth