Formal Versus Informal Mindfulness Among University Students With Self-reported ADHD, Nonsuicidal Self-injury, or Stress

Summary

The present study will use a randomized controlled design to investigate group differences between university students with self-reported stress (comparison group), ADHD, or a history of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in response to a four-week mindfulness instruction program across conditions (formal mindfulness program, informal mindfulness program, inactive control) in terms of the intervention's acceptability and effectiveness.

Conditions

• Nonsuicidal Self-injury
• ADHD
• Mindfulness

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Formal mindfulness instruction

An equal number of university students from all groups will participate in this arm (i.e., those with ADHD, those with a history of nonsuicidal self-injury, and those with self-reported stress). The formal mindfulness instruction will consist of four weekly 1 hour-long group sessions, held on Webex (i.e., online) over four consecutive weeks. Participants will learn foundational principles around the role of mindfulness in relation to emotion regulation, stress, and self-compassion. They will also be taught formal mindfulness practices (e.g., sitting meditation, body scan, thought meditation, loving-kindness meditation) during the group sessions and will be asked to commit to practicing the strategies independently throughout the project period.

BEHAVIORAL

Informal mindfulness instruction

An equal number of university students from all groups will participate in this arm (i.e., those with ADHD, those with a history of nonsuicidal self-injury, and those with self-reported stress). The informal mindfulness instruction will consist of four weekly 1 hour-long group sessions, held on Webex (i.e., online) over four consecutive weeks. Participants will learn foundational principles around the role of mindfulness in relation to emotion regulation, stress, and self-compassion. They will also be taught how to integrate informal mindfulness into their daily routine and will be guided through a series of demonstrations within the group sessions. Participants will be asked to commit to practicing informal mindfulness independently throughout the project period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Concordia University, Montreal

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Ottawa

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Toronto

  collaborator OTHER

• McGill University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Nancy L. Heath, Ph.D. · McGill University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

29 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-09-06

Primary Completion

2024-06-17

Completion

2024-06-17

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations