Examine the Effects of Meditation on Daily Psychological Stress Responses in Woman With a History of Child Adversity

Summary

The aim of the Everyday Moments of Mindfulness (EMMI) study is to test whether brief mindfulness-based practices will improve daily psychological stress responses in women (age 30-60) who report a history of early life adversity. Following a baseline visit (remotely or in person), participants complete daily surveys and audio-guided mindfulness-based practices in everyday life via the study app. Specifically, participants receive app-notifications three times/day (morning, afternoon, evening) to complete daily surveys of current stressors and psychological states. At each notification, each participant is then randomly assigned to either receive a mindfulness-based intervention or not (max of 3 interventions/day). Thus, participants are randomized many times over the course of this 30-day study. At the end of the study, participants complete a follow-up visit (remotely or in person).

Conditions

• Stress
• Psychological Stress
• Child Maltreatment
• Depressive Symptoms
• Signs and Symptoms
• Psychological Distress
• Psychological

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mindfulness-based intervention, up to 5 minutes 0-3 times/day

The intervention consist of mindfulness and compassion-based practices that are selected to maximize their effect on stress targets. Interventions include, for example, practices that focus on the breath/body (e.g., 3 minute breathing space; compassionate body scan; five senses mediation), on increasing participants' inner resources (e.g., imaging a safe person or safe place), on reducing negative affect (e.g., self-compassion and acceptance-based practices), or on increasing positive emotions (e.g., gratitude practice; metta practices).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Harvard University

  collaborator OTHER

• National Institute on Aging (NIA)

  collaborator NIH

• Penn State University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, San Francisco

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Stefanie E Mayer, PhD · University of California, San Francisco

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

30 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-11-02

Primary Completion

2021-07-12

Completion

2021-07-12

Countries

• United States

Study Locations