NCT01628809

Mindfulness-Based Meditation to Treat Stress in Unemployed Community Adults

Stress Reduction and Healthy Living in Pittsburgh

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 35 (actual)
• Sponsor: Carnegie Mellon University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 24 Years – 52 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a three-day mindfulness meditation retreat (vs. a three-day relaxation retreat) in stressed, unemployed, community adults on brain function, brain structure, and overall health and immunity.

Detailed description

Chronic stress has been shown to be a significant risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality. Eight-week Mindfulness-Based Meditation programs (MBSR) have been shown to improve participants' health and well-being, including reducing inflammation and slowing the progression of chronic diseases such as HIV. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential benefits of a three-day mindfulness-based meditation retreat program (vs. an active rest and relaxation retreat control condition) on a highly stressed, unemployed, community adult population. Participants are recruited from the Pittsburgh area and are randomly assigned to either the mindfulness-based retreat program or the rest and relaxation retreat program. All participants complete a psychosocial survey, blood work, and a baseline fMRI before completing the intervention. Participants complete a second fMRI immediately following the intervention and then additional blood work and psychosocial surveys at a four month follow-up timepoint. At each fMRI appointment, participants will complete neuroimaging tasks (where they will be presented with words, picture, and sounds) that will assess neuroreactivity, regulation responses, and brain volume before and after mindfulness meditation training.

Conditions

• Stress
• Inflammation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction	three-day mindfulness-based meditation retreat program

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-01-01
• Primary completion: 2012-10-01
• Completion: 2012-12-01
• First posted: 2012-06-27
• Last updated: 2015-07-28