The Mindful Media Project

NCT ID: NCT05138952

Last Updated: 2022-04-06

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 26 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-08-16
• Study Completion Date: 2021-12-30

Brief Summary

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is an emerging mental health issue. Research consistently shows that university students are disproportionately vulnerable to experiencing PIU, and that this can be linked with both poorer academic performance and mental health outcomes. Despite these adverse consequences, there has been no research to date on treatments for those experiencing PIU.

Preliminary research suggests that one promising candidate is mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is a popular form of brain training that helps develop an ability to sit with uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, break compulsive behavioural patterns and make more mindful behavioural choices. The current proof-of-concept study aims to investigate the clinical potential of mindfulness meditation in reducing PIU severity for Australian university students who endorse moderate to severe PIU symptoms.

Detailed Description

Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI) is an umbrella term encapsulating excessive and uncontrolled engagement with internet-related activities. PIU is increasingly recognised as an emerging mental health issue. It is characterised by a perceived loss of control over internet use despite repeated attempts to regulate it, and excessive internet-specific preoccupations or urges that result in distress and life impairment. Research consistently shows that university students are disproportionately vulnerable to experiencing PIU, and that this can be linked with both poorer academic performance and mental health outcomes.

Despite these adverse consequences, there has been no research to date on treatments for those experiencing PIU. Preliminary research suggests that one promising candidate for addressing PIU is mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is a popular form of brain training that helps develop an ability to sit with uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, break compulsive behavioural patterns and make more mindful behavioural choices.

The current study is a proof of principal investigation. The primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of a brief mindfulness meditation intervention for PIU among Australian university students who endorse moderate to severe PIU. The study will investigate a 30 day combination of daily meditation practice using the Headspace Inc supported by weekly online group meditation tuition. In order to support participant engagement in the meditation practices, a range of behaviour change techniques will be applied. A secondary is to evaluation the efficacy of these behaviour change techniques in support engagement.

Conditions

Problematic Internet Use

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Mindfulness Meditation

30-day program of mindfulness meditation comprising weekly group meditation tuition and support sessions and daily app-based mediation practice.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mindfulness Meditation

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

30-day mediation program comprising:

1. Weekly group mediation tuition and support sessions delivered online. Sessions will last 45-60 minutes and focus on mindfulness meditation theory and techniques, and trouble shooting barriers to practice and engagement.

2. 10-minutes of daily mindfulness meditation practice with the Headspace Inc app.

Interventions

Mindfulness Meditation

30-day mediation program comprising:

1. Weekly group mediation tuition and support sessions delivered online. Sessions will last 45-60 minutes and focus on mindfulness meditation theory and techniques, and trouble shooting barriers to practice and engagement.

2. 10-minutes of daily mindfulness meditation practice with the Headspace Inc app.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Voluntary and able to provide informed consent
• Endorse current moderate to severe PIU on IAT-10
• Currently attending an Australian university (full-time or part-time, international or domestic student)
• Ability to adhere to study procedures
• If taking psychoactive medication, have been stable on same type and dose for at least 4 weeks prior to study commencement

Exclusion Criteria

• History of neurological illness or moderate to severe brain injury
• Severely impaired visual/auditory ability
• Diagnosed history of learning difficulty or other condition involving cognitive impairment as a primary feature.
• Lack of both verbal and written fluency in English
• Have engaged in > 10 instances of formal mindfulness meditation practice in past 12 months

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Headspace, Inc

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Monash University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Rebecca Segrave

Senior Research Fellow

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Monash University, BrainPark

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Countries

Australia

Other Identifiers

29159

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id