Dose-Response Effects of Mindfulness Meditation

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Well-Being, Psychological, Depression

In brief

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to test for evidence of dose-response effects in a sample of healthy adults with little to no prior experience with meditation. The main question it aims to answer is whether larger doses of mindfulness meditation yield greater positive changes in wellbeing than smaller doses. Our hypotheses are that (1) larger doses of mindfulness training will yield significantly larger effects, and (2) different doses will be significantly associated with variation in participant engagement, with lower engagement associated with higher doses. Researchers will compare each of three dose conditions, 10-min, 20-min, 30-min, against a minimal dose condition of 3-4 min. Participants will take a 28-day mindfulness meditation course, with guided audio instructions provided daily throughout the intervention period (excluding one rest day per week). They will also be asked to respond to surveys before, during, and after the intervention.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06378450

Run by

University of Melbourne

People needed

860

Starts

2024-05-01

Expected to finish

2025-06-30

Last updated by the study team

2025-03-30

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Reside in Australia, with no plans to relocate or travel overseas during the intervention period;
• Sufficient comprehension of the English language to complete measures;
• Register for an account and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Unforgettable.Me;
• If suffering anxious or depressive symptoms of moderate severity (defined by > 19 on the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS] Level 2 Anxiety or > 22 on the PROMIS Level 2 Depression), must agree to continue recommended routine medical treatment for eligible underlying mental and/or physical health conditions or the duration of the study and to seek additional treatment if indicated by deterioration of symptoms;
• No or minimal experience with meditation, defined as less than 25 hours over the past 6 months; never attended a multi-day mindfulness course (e.g., Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Vipassana). If 50% of our target sample size has not bee recruited within the first three months of active recruitment, the inclusion criteria will be broadened to include participants with up to 100 hours in the past 6 months.

You may not qualify if…

• Self-reported current or lifetime serious mental illness (e.g., neurodevelopmental, schizophrenia spectrum, bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, trauma-related, dissociative or personality disorder);
• Anxious and depressive symptoms in the severe range (defined by >27 on the PROMIS Level 2 Anxiety or > 32 on the PROMIS Level 2 Depression);
• Psychological distress symptoms in the severe range (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale [K10] >= 30);
• Threshold scores on pre-screening and follow-up measures exceeded for Mania, Suicidal Ideation, Psychosis, Repetitive Thoughts \& Behaviors, Dissociation
• Moderate alcohol, tobacco, or drug use;
• Self-reported diagnosis of neurological condition (e.g., traumatic brain injury, amnesia, epilepsy, stroke, etc.);
• Self-reported presence of any serious medical condition (e.g., cancer, thyroid disorder, multiple sclerosis, etc.);
• Recent bereavement or major loss;
• History of unexplored, untreated traumatic experiences or adverse childhood events.

Where it is running

• Contemplative Studies Centre, The University of Melbourne — Carlton, Victoria, Australia (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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