Mindfulness-Based Meditation to Treat Stress in Unemployed Community Adults

Inflammation Clinical Trial

Official title: Stress Reduction and Healthy Living in Pittsburgh

Status Completed

Clinical Trial 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.

Clinical Trial 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. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Inflammation
• Stress

• NCT number: NCT01628809
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Carnegie Mellon University
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: January 2011
• Completion date: December 2012